GREENVILLE — The South Carolina Highway Patrol held a Highway Dedication ceremony today in honor of fallen Patrolman Albert T. Sealy Jr., who was killed in the line of duty on October 5, 1950, in Greenville County. The ceremony was held at the Berea First Baptist Church in Greenville with close relatives, law enforcement, members of the Greenville Legislative Delegation, and other first responders in attendance.
The SC Department of Transportation formally unveiled highway signs designating a portion of SC-183 between Sulphur Springs Road and Ridge Road the SCHP Patrolman Albert T. Sealy Jr. Memorial Highway. Sealy was on duty when he crashed into a tanker truck during a pursuit in Greenville County on October 5, 1950, killing him instantly. He was the 14th South Carolina state trooper to lose his life serving the State of South Carolina.
“Patrolman Albert Sealy Jr. served with honor and distinction, and today’s ceremony and dedication will cement his service, sacrifice, and memory in Greenville County,” SCDPS Director Robert G. Woods IV, said. “And while we can never repay the families of these fallen troopers for their sacrifices through the years, small acts like this one today are just one way of saying, ‘We have not forgotten, and will not forget.’”
Sealy was born on January 1, 1927, in Lancaster. After honorably serving in the United States Navy for two years during World War II, Sealy joined the South Carolina Highway Patrol in 1948, patrolling the roadways of Greenville County until his death in 1950. Though Patrolman Sealy’s time with the Highway Patrol was brief, his desire to serve others was evident.
“Honor is not a currency that loses its value with the passage of time. It does not have an expiration date,” SC Highway Patrol Colonel Christopher Williamson said. “Whether a trooper died in the line of duty a year ago, or 75 years ago, each one laid down his life in service to this state. And I am pleased that we can recognize Patrolman Sealy’s service and sacrifice today.”
At the time of his death, Sealy was survived by his wife, his daughter, his father, his mother, and six siblings. He was buried at the Lancaster Memorial Park in Lancaster. Sealy was inducted into the South Carolina Law Enforcement Officers Hall of Fame in 1986.
One of Sealy’s brothers was also a Highway Patrolman at the time of Albert’s death. Marion Eugene Sealy was assigned to Richland County and left the Highway Patrol about a year after Albert lost his life. Eugene’s son, M.E. “Gene” Sealy, grew up to be a police officer and the longtime chief of the Forest Acres Police Department. Chief Sealy retired in January 2022.
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