OLYMPIA, Wash. — The Washington State Patrol (WSP) on Wednesday posted a Facebook remembrance of the late James S. Gain, a WSP trooper who was struck and killed by an 18-wheeler while conducting a traffic stop in 1987 north of Vancouver, Washington.
Gain joined the 41st Trooper Cadet Class and was commissioned on Feb. 9, 1968, assigned to Tacoma, Washington.
He died on March 2, 1987, at the age of 42 after the semi struck him along Interstate 5, seven miles north of Vancouver. At the time of his death, Gain had served 19 years with the Washington State Patrol.
The Washington State Legislature passed Senate Resolution 1987-8620 honoring Gain for his sacrifice. He was also posthumously awarded the Washington Law Enforcement Medal of Honor in May 1997.
On March 6, 2009, a memorial was unveiled at the southbound Gee Creek rest area on I-5 at mile post 11, to honor and remember Gain.
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Trooper Gain’s Personnel number was not 849, but rather 829.