According to the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Larry and Jackie Sparks died Monday morning when their RV left the northbound lanes of I-75 near Jellico, Tenn., and hit a tree. The couple's daughter Debbie Dorrell, a teacher at Granville-Wells Elementary in Western Boone, was pinned inside and had to be rescued by first responders.
Dorrell was later airlifted to UT Medical Center in Knoxville, Tenn., where she underwent surgery, police said.
The family was heading back to Indiana from Virginia after taking part in the Goody's 500 NASCAR race at Martinvsville Speedway.
One of the NASCAR stars competing in the race learned the basics of the road directly from Larry Sparks.
Shortly after news of the crash, Jeff Gordon posted Twitter and Facebook messages about the loss of his former driving instructor.
"Saddened to learn of the passing of my driver's ed teacher Larry Sparks who was heading home from @MartinsvilleSwy," Gordon tweeted.
INDYSTAR
Remembering my favorite teachers, Mr. and Mrs. Sparks
In a Facebook post, Gordon shared four photos of him and Larry Sparks together with the caption, "Larry Sparks was my driver's ed teacher but also 1 of my biggest fans. He'll be dearly missed."
Jackie Sparks taught at Pittsboro Elementary for more than 20 years and retired in 2000. She later returned as an instructional assistant.
Larry Sparks taught and later became a principal at Tri-West High School. He left administration and went back to the classroom to teach before his retirement in 1999. After retiring, he came back to drive a bus for the district.
North West Hendricks Assistant Superintendent Ron Ward said he was a young teacher when he first met Larry Sparks in the fall of 1979.
When Ward arrived, Larry Sparks was assistant principal.
"I worked with him for a few years, and then he became principal," Ward said. "I certainly looked at him as my boss, but I also considered myself an understudy so to speak because I was interested in going into administration, as well."
Ward said he closely watched how Larry Sparks handled things as principal. The lessons passed on during that time would aid in Ward's future growth.
"He was a friendly, outgoing, cooperative person to work with. He was always upbeat about things at school," Ward said. "I think he's a good listener. He would always find the time to sit down and talk with people, and he'd spend a lot of time just chit-chatting, so to speak."
After years of learning under Larry Sparks' guidance, the two men would switch roles. When Ward became principal in 1990, Larry Sparks returned to the classroom teaching geography, psychology and other subjects.
"He was one of my easiest teachers to work with because he knew what it was like to be a principal," he said.
Ward added that both Larry and Jackie Sparks received rave reviews as teachers from his three daughters.
"Jackie ... what a sweetheart," Ward said. "My daughters just loved her class and my one daughter still remembers the leaf collection lesson from her class ... to help students identify Indiana trees. They were great, and if my daughters ever had any issues, Jackie would always let us know."
Former student Cheryl Jones also said that her time in Jackie Sparks' fourth-grade class was unforgettable, thanks in part to her unique style and fun-loving approach to teaching.
"I remember she would wear the '50s style poodle skirts ... she was a fun gal," said Jones who graduated high school in 1996. "She was just different, and she went above and beyond for her students. I also remember she had a favorite saying that she would say in class three or four times a day. She would say, 'If you have questions, speak now or forever hold your peace.' It was just one of those little things that stuck with you as a kid."
When thinking about Larry Sparks, Jones remembers his presence and his ability to brighten anybody's day with just a few words.
"He was quick to joke with you. If you were walking down the hall and you had a frown on your face, he could say something to make you smile," she said. "You'd see him standing there in the hall with his arms crossed, and he had a big belly, so my husband who graduated in 1980 ... his class used to call him 'Jelly Belly.' But us, we called him 'Sparky,' and that's who he was to us.
Dorrell was later airlifted to UT Medical Center in Knoxville, Tenn., where she underwent surgery, police said.
The family was heading back to Indiana from Virginia after taking part in the Goody's 500 NASCAR race at Martinvsville Speedway.
One of the NASCAR stars competing in the race learned the basics of the road directly from Larry Sparks.
Shortly after news of the crash, Jeff Gordon posted Twitter and Facebook messages about the loss of his former driving instructor.
"Saddened to learn of the passing of my driver's ed teacher Larry Sparks who was heading home from @MartinsvilleSwy," Gordon tweeted.
INDYSTAR
Remembering my favorite teachers, Mr. and Mrs. Sparks
In a Facebook post, Gordon shared four photos of him and Larry Sparks together with the caption, "Larry Sparks was my driver's ed teacher but also 1 of my biggest fans. He'll be dearly missed."
Jackie Sparks taught at Pittsboro Elementary for more than 20 years and retired in 2000. She later returned as an instructional assistant.
Larry Sparks taught and later became a principal at Tri-West High School. He left administration and went back to the classroom to teach before his retirement in 1999. After retiring, he came back to drive a bus for the district.
North West Hendricks Assistant Superintendent Ron Ward said he was a young teacher when he first met Larry Sparks in the fall of 1979.
When Ward arrived, Larry Sparks was assistant principal.
"I worked with him for a few years, and then he became principal," Ward said. "I certainly looked at him as my boss, but I also considered myself an understudy so to speak because I was interested in going into administration, as well."
Ward said he closely watched how Larry Sparks handled things as principal. The lessons passed on during that time would aid in Ward's future growth.
"He was a friendly, outgoing, cooperative person to work with. He was always upbeat about things at school," Ward said. "I think he's a good listener. He would always find the time to sit down and talk with people, and he'd spend a lot of time just chit-chatting, so to speak."
After years of learning under Larry Sparks' guidance, the two men would switch roles. When Ward became principal in 1990, Larry Sparks returned to the classroom teaching geography, psychology and other subjects.
"He was one of my easiest teachers to work with because he knew what it was like to be a principal," he said.
Ward added that both Larry and Jackie Sparks received rave reviews as teachers from his three daughters.
"Jackie ... what a sweetheart," Ward said. "My daughters just loved her class and my one daughter still remembers the leaf collection lesson from her class ... to help students identify Indiana trees. They were great, and if my daughters ever had any issues, Jackie would always let us know."
Former student Cheryl Jones also said that her time in Jackie Sparks' fourth-grade class was unforgettable, thanks in part to her unique style and fun-loving approach to teaching.
"I remember she would wear the '50s style poodle skirts ... she was a fun gal," said Jones who graduated high school in 1996. "She was just different, and she went above and beyond for her students. I also remember she had a favorite saying that she would say in class three or four times a day. She would say, 'If you have questions, speak now or forever hold your peace.' It was just one of those little things that stuck with you as a kid."
When thinking about Larry Sparks, Jones remembers his presence and his ability to brighten anybody's day with just a few words.
"He was quick to joke with you. If you were walking down the hall and you had a frown on your face, he could say something to make you smile," she said. "You'd see him standing there in the hall with his arms crossed, and he had a big belly, so my husband who graduated in 1980 ... his class used to call him 'Jelly Belly.' But us, we called him 'Sparky,' and that's who he was to us.
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