Mom and Crossing Guard Killed in Head-On Car Crash: ‘She Spread Her Love Everywhere She Went’ 

A longtime school crossing guard in Clarksville, Tenn., has been identified as the victim of a deadly multi-vehicle crash that happened just days before Christmas.

The Clarksville Police Department said in a preliminary investigation that around 5:45 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 19, a vehicle traveling westbound crossed into oncoming traffic on 101st Airborne Division Parkway between Peachers Mill Road and the West Fork Bridge. The vehicle collided head-on with an eastbound car.

Police said the front-seat female passenger in the eastbound vehicle suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. The eastbound driver and a juvenile passenger seated in the back were airlifted to Nashville-area hospitals and were reported to be in stable condition.

The driver of the westbound vehicle — the one that crossed into oncoming traffic — was taken to Tennova Healthcare and treated for minor injuries.

After next-of-kin notifications were completed, police identified the person who died as 46-year-old Latrice Dodson. Dodson worked as a crossing guard with the Clarksville Police Department and served students and families at Kenwood Elementary School and Ringgold Elementary School.

“She began her service with the department in August 2025 and was a dedicated member of the school safety team, helping ensure the safe passage of students each day,” the department said in a statement, adding that her dedication to children and the community “will not be forgotten.”

The police department said the crash remains under investigation and that charges are pending. Anyone with information is asked to contact FACT Investigator Castillo at (931) 648-0656, ext. 5150.

While officials did not publicly identify the juvenile passenger or the driver in the vehicle Dodson occupied, a GoFundMe created for the family says Dodson’s daughter was in the car at the time of the crash.

“Her daughter survived the accident but suffered two broken arms and a fractured pelvis, and is currently receiving care at Children’s Hospital,” the fundraiser states. “She faces a long and painful recovery, both physically and emotionally.”

The GoFundMe, which is raising funds for funeral and memorial costs as well as medical and rehabilitation expenses for Dodson’s daughter, had collected $7,550 toward an $11,000 goal as of press time.

Dodson’s brother, Tommy Dodson, told News Channel 5 Nashville that he hadn’t realized how wide her support network was across the community.

“She was everywhere, and she spread her love everywhere she went,” he said.