Officer death marked end of motorcycle patrol, founded to stop 'mania' of 20 mph speeders

Illustration by Maia Labbe, Grand Forks Herald / Historical news clippings via Newspapers.com By Maia Labbe Today at 9:00 AM Listen Comments Share Share this article News Reporting News Reporting Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. The Trust Project What is this? GRAND FORKS — Sixty years ago the Grand Forks Police Department lost its first officer on duty. Robert D. Martin is one of two officers who have died in the line of duty with the GFPD. He was 27 years old. ADVERTISEMENT “I remember that night when Robert slid under a car on University Avenue,” former Mayor Pat Owens told police in 1999. “That memory always sticks in my mind when I think of you and the dangers you face.” Martin had just married Arlene Buchweitz a year prior and was only two years into his job at GFPD. He had spent a total six years working in law enforcement, first in Williston, North Dakota, then in Grand Forks. The crash At 10:15 p.m., Oct. 12, 1966, Martin was driving 25 mph on his motorcycle going east on Second Avenue North. A pickup truck trailed behind him while William Oas came toward him. Oas made a left turn into his driveway across the motorcycle's path, leading to the crash. “He came out of nowhere — all of a sudden he was in front of me,” Oas reportedly told law enforcement. Martin followed emergency procedures by throwing his motorcycle down on its left side. It skidded under Oas’ car, and Martin was thrown 20-25 feet. He died at 11:15 p.m. at a Grand Forks hospital. Contributed According to an article published a week after the accident, the state’s attorney at the time, John A. Alphson, said no one was criminally negligent. Based on this, it seems like Oas wasn’t charged. Alphson said the crash was most likely caused by a malfunctioning headlight on the motorcycle. Two police officers testified that the switch on the motorcycle had to be operated just right, otherwise the lights would go off. The switch would be used to alternate between high and low beam. Three people who lived near the crash also testified that though the motorcycle was still running after the accident, its lights were not on. ADVERTISEMENT Three years later, in January 1969, a Grand Forks County District Court judge found Oas negligent in the operation of his motor vehicle. Buchweitz was awarded $7,500 (nearly $71,000 today) 'Mania' of 20 mph speeders On Sept. 1, 1912, the Herald reported that Chief of Police Lowe “doesn’t see great deal of merit in the motorcycle plan.” He said motorcycles would be good for pursuing speeders or answering hurry calls, but an automobile would be preferable because it could transport the person of interest. Seven months later, on April 8, 1913, the Herald reported: “speeders will be given chase.” The city council had plans to purchase a motorcycle for the police department and potentially hire a new officer. Lowe said there weren’t enough officers to constantly patrol the city's streets. When a call came in about someone speeding, officers often couldn’t get there in time. The Herald reported that “Chief Lowe declared that with such a machine, the police would be able to nab offenders and that, as a result, that mania for speeding would be very quickly checked.” This mania was described as people driving 20 mph or more. In 1911, the Herald reported that a city ordinance set the speed limit at 12 mph. Brian Samson, a former officer with GFPD who now works with Child Protection Services, said the motorcycle patrol unit was disbanded as a result of Martin’s death. Based on historical reporting from the Herald, it’s not clear when exactly this happened. ADVERTISEMENT At first, it looked like there was no intention to end the unit. An agenda from the Jan. 16, 1967, city council meeting included a request for a GFPD motorcycle replacement. One year later, the Herald reported that GFPD’s five motorcycle units patrolled 30,894 miles in 1967. But as the 1960s came to an end, mentions of the motorcycle unit tapered off. Remembering fallen officers Every year in May, GFPD and law enforcement across the country honor their fallen officers for National Police Week. For GFPD, this is Robert Martin and Cody Holte. In 2004, GFPD took it a step further, naming its operations annex after Martin. His widow and three surviving brothers attended the ceremony. “It’s pretty hard to sum everything up. I have seen a lot of dear friends here and older officers who were working when I was here,” Buchweitz said. “This is a very special occasion, and I feel honored that they have decided to pay this tribute to Robert. It is very special.” Comments Share Share this article News Reporting News Reporting Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. The Trust Project What is this? Tags Tags GRAND FORKS POLICE VAULT - HISTORICAL By Maia Labbe Maia Labbe is the cops and courts reporter for the Grand Forks Herald. She graduated from the University of Florida in 2025 with a B.S. in journalism. She previously worked as copy editor for the Independent Florida Alligator. She also was a producer for ESPN/WRUF in Gainesville, Florida. Listen to this article Conversation ADVERTISEMENT What To Read Next The Vault Why 2 inmates received lethal injection after failed prison escape, murder 1d ago · By C.S. Hagen The Vault How a millionaire bonanza farmer was swindled out of $25,000, then died on the Titanic 5d ago · By Jeremy Fugleberg The Vault She was found dead in a shallow rural river. 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