Trooper Beal died January 15, 2000, three days after being struck by a vehicle while assisting a tow truck driver remove a vehicle from a ditch on Route 14 in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Another vehicle entered the area and attempted to slow down, but the driver lost control of the vehicle in the icy conditions. The vehicle struck the tow truck and then Trooper Beal, causing severe internal injuries. He was transported to a local hospital where he remained on life support for three days. He passed away shortly after being taken off of life support. Trooper Beal, a graduate of the December 1998 Academy Class, is the third officer from his class to be killed in the line of duty. He had been with the agency for 14 months and is survived by his wife, who is expecting their first child.