Trooper Todd Larkins
The funeral for State Trooper Todd M. Larkins, who was killed Friday, will be held on Wednesday.
The family will receive friends and relatives at the funeral home at three times:
1 p.m.–9 p.m. Monday
1 p.m.–9 p.m. Tuesday
10 a.m.–1 p.m. Wednesday
The funeral will be Wednesday at 2 p.m. at the Dickson First Assembly of God, with burial to follow in Union Cemetery.
Spann Funeral Home, 1961 Highway 48 North in Dickson, is in charge of the arrangements.
At the family’s request, the visitation and funeral are open to friends and family only.
Trooper Larkins was killed in the line of duty Friday after a tractor trailer struck him.
Trooper Larkins had initiated a traffic stop and had exited his marked vehicle shortly before the crash.
Authorities say he was well within the safe zone when a tractor trailer traveling eastbound on 1-40 in Dickson County struck Larkin’s vehicle, before striking him. Trooper Larkins died at the scene.
Trooper Larkins, 31, joined the Department of Safety on July 1, 2000. During his tenure with the department, he served both Maury and Dickson Counties. He is the 32nd State Trooper to be killed in the line of duty since the Tennessee Highway Patrol was formed in 1929.
The driver of the tractor trailer has been identified as Mitchell Wayne Bowers, who works for the EBY-Brown Company in Napierville, Ill. He was being questioned by members of THP’s Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) and Criminal Investigation Division (CID), who are investigating the crash.
Larkins is survived by his wife, Alicia, and a 12-year-old daughter. He was a graduate of Dickson High School and of Tennessee Technological University in Cookeville, where he earned a bachelors degree in business management.
Gov. Phil Bredesen said, “My heart goes out to Trooper Larkins’ family. This is a horrible tragedy, and I want them to know my thoughts and prayers are with them.”
Tennessee Department of Safety Commissioner Fred Phillips issued the following statement on the death of Trooper Larkins:
"My condolences go out to the family of Trooper Todd Larkins. Every day, the men and women of the Tennessee Highway Patrol put their lives on the line. They do so because of a great desire to serve others. Trooper Todd Larkins was one of the best. He was a loyal, dedicated young family man, and he will be greatly missed by his friends and colleagues."