Illinois State Police, Illinois
End of Watch Saturday, December 29, 1962
Add to My HeroesDale August Van Vooren
Trooper Dale Van Vooren was killed in an automobile accident as a result of a mechanical failure in his squad car.
On what normally would have been his day off, Trooper Van Vooren was working a special holiday patrol on Saturday, December 29, 1962, with Trooper Darrel Vandenore. When the two first came on duty, they noticed that the accelerator was sticking when they first began their shift. They took the vehicle to a service station and had a spring replaced. They headed back on the road.
The repair did not fix the problem and afterwards, the problem was found to be a malfunctioning carburetor linkage. Accelerating to pursue a speeder, the two troopers were driving on Highway 6, about a mile east of Annawan, when the carburetor stuck wide open. The squad car spun out of control, struck a culvert, skidded across the highway and overturned. Trooper Van Vooren was thrown through the windshield. He died of head injuries at St. Francis Hospital in Kewanee. His partner, although seriously injured, survived and returned to duty.
Trooper Van Vooren was a U.S Navy veteran and served with the Illinois State Police for five years. He was assigned to District 7, Rock Island. His wife and three children survive.
Bio
- Age 27
- Tour 5 years
- Badge Not available
- Military Veteran
Incident Details
- Cause Automobile crash
Most Recent Reflection
View all 7 ReflectionsThe Illinois State Police lives forever, and since you were an Illinois State Trooper YOU will live forever. You will never be forgotten. Thank you for your sacrifice and service.
Trooper A.M. Unal
Illinois State Police
April 19, 2020
Recent LODD Deaths

Deputy Sheriff Thomas Patrick Barnes
Jefferson Davis County Sheriff's Department, MS
EOW: April 10, 2021

Sergeant James K. Smith
Iowa State Patrol, IA
EOW: April 9, 2021

Police Officer Brent Nelson Hall
Newton Grove Police Department, NC
EOW: April 3, 2021

Deputy Sheriff Christopher Wilson Knight
Bibb County Sheriff's Office, GA
EOW: April 6, 2021

Chief of Police Fred Alan Posavetz
Clinton Township Police Department, MI
EOW: March 22, 2021

Corrections Officer Luis Arturo Hernandez, Sr.
Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Correctional Institutions Division, TX
EOW: March 31, 2021

Lieutenant James Kouski
Hometown Police Department, IL
EOW: April 3, 2021

Police Officer William Evans
United States Capitol Police, US
EOW: April 2, 2021

Sergeant Shane Owens
Broward County Sheriff's Office, FL
EOW: March 27, 2021