On Thursday October 14th, 2021, Trooper Ted Benda was responding to a call to assist the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office with a wanted subject. His vehicle left the roadway on Highway 51 north of Postville. He was flown to Gunderson Lutheran Hospital in La Crosse, Wisconsin, where he remained in critical condition until succumbing to his injuries on October 20th, 2021.
Trooper Benda was a 16 year veteran of the Iowa Department of Public Safety. He had transferred to the Iowa State Patrol 5 years prior to his death after spending 11 years with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation. Trp. Benda is survived by his wife and four young daughters.