On July 2, 1954, State Traffic Officer Frank M. Epperson, age 39, was attempting to overtake two speeding vehicles and was about to pass a pick-up truck when the truck started a left turn in front of his patrol car. Epperson tried to avoid a collision, but the two vehicles collided, and the patrol car rolled several times before striking a power pole and slamming into irrigation equipment. The 40-year-old patrolman was ejected and died at the scene. Epperson had joined the CHP in 1948, but his duty was interrupted by service in the Korean War. He returned to the Patrol in 1952. Officer Epperson was a Korean War veteran. Officer Epperson was assigned to the CHP's Indio Area office. He served the CHP for 6 years.
About Project Blue Light - History
Project Blue Light began in 1988 when the surviving mother-in-law of a Philadelphia (PA) police officer killed in the line of duty told COPS (Concerns of Police Survivors) that she would have two blue lights in her window for the holidays, one in memory of her son-in-law and one in memory of her daughter, the officer’s widow, who had been killed in a car crash that year. COPS adopted this idea as a way that everyone could honor the officers who serve and protect us while remembering those who have been killed in the line of duty. Project Blue Light has grown steadily as a way of remembering our departed law enforcement officers across America and beyond. The concept is a simple one. Place a single blue light in your window in memory of fallen officers. At this time of year, ornamental light fixtures, such as candlestick replicas, are easy to come by and serve this purpose well. Replace the (usually) white light bulb with a single blue bulb, and place it in a window where it will be seen. Most people won’t know its significance, but the ones to whom it matters most, will.