| Trooper Sandra M. Wagner, 28, is the first female State Trooper to die in the line of duty. She was killed on April 5, 1996, when she pulled her police vehicle into the path of a tractor-trailer on Delaware Route 404 in Bridgeville, apparently intent on stopping a speeding motorist. Governor Thomas Carper said, in a statement issued from his office, ''Only a few months ago, I shook her hand at (recruit) graduation. She was filled with the determination and hope of a new state police office. Little did she know that she would end up sacrificing her life. I want to extend my heartfelt sympathy to her family, friends, and colleagues.' Trooper Sandra Wagner once said of herself, I knew I always wanted to do something to help people and society, but I wasn't sure what it was, but I did know that I did not want to sit at a desk the rest of my life. Trooper Wagner was assigned to Troop 5, Bridgeville and was just two hours into her third solo shift. She was appointed to the state police on 07/24/1995 and graduated from the 64th Academy Recruit Class on 12/15/1995. |