Roll of Honor
Incident
Trooper Ross was killed when his patrol car was struck by a commercial vehicle while he was working a construction work-zone detail.
Trooper Ross' vehicle was positioned at the rear of the work-zone with its emergency lights flashing when a tractor-trailer struck it from behind. The patrol car immediately flipped over and was engulfed in flames with Trooper Ross inside. The tractor-trailer then crossed the median and struck another vehicle.
In 2002, the 50-year-old driver pled guilty to vehicular homicide and aggravated assault and was sentenced to one year with seven years probation. The driver admitted he should not have been driving because he was very tired and fell asleep behind the wheel.
Survivors
Trooper Ross was a U.S Army veteran and had served with the Tennessee Highway Patrol for almost five years He is survived by his three children, parents, and sister.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-TN-044B9D3C- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Trooper Ross gave the Tennessee Highway Patrol 5 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of Tennessee. Thank you for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
Lynn McCarthy Ross served in the Army (1980â1992) before joining law enforcement.
Trooper Lynn McCarthy Ross is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In TN, 191 of 769 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 24.8% of this state's fallen. That is 6.2 percentage points below the national rate of 31%.
At Tennessee Highway Patrol, 30 of 41 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 73.2% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Lynn McCarthy Ross's cause is highlighted.
How Lynn McCarthy Ross Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Lynn McCarthy Ross is highlighted in Jul.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
40 officers from Tennessee Highway Patrol are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
