Patrolman Louis A. Barney

Louis A. Barney

Patrolman Louis Barney succumbed to injuries sustained in a motorcycle crash five days earlier.

Patrolman Barney was riding his motorcycle on a special traffic detail for the Pageant for Progress. His motorcycle collided with the left rear fender of a vehicle traveling westbound on Jefferson Street. Officer Barney was able to walk to a vehicle and was taken to St. Joseph's Hospital by an unidentified motorist.

Once in the hospital, he fell into unconsciousness due to a subdural hemorrhage. Emergency surgery was performed to remove a blood clot from the brain, and he remained in critical condition until he succumbed to his injuries.

The driver was later ticketed for failing to signal a left turn.

Patrolman Barney was a United States Navy WWII veteran and had served with the Joliet Police Department for 12 years. An avid sportsman, he carried the principles of the game into his police work. He often made friends with those he had arrested and loved children. His two daughters were his constant companions. He was survived by his wife, two daughters, parents, and two siblings.