Fallen Heroes
Traffic Officer Charles W. Gudgell was killed in the line of duty on August 22, 1916. Officer Gudgell was run down by an automobile at N. 8th Street and W. Grand Avenue (now known as Wisconsin Avenue) around 10:45 on August 22, 1916. He was pronounced dead at Emergency Hospital 25 minutes later, having suffered from several broken ribs and a crushed chest.
The out-of-town driver was unfamiliar with the rules of the road in Milwaukee, which may have played a part in the accident. Officer Gudgell's death became part of the national movement for having standardized driving regulations and requiring operators to pass a driving test.
Officer Gudgell, 33, was born February 6, 1883, in Sheffield, Illinois. He served with the Milwaukee Police Department for nearly six years, having been appointed on November 1, 1910. He was married at the time of his death.