The sudden and tragic death of young husband and father Darcy Stallings attracted a huge crowd of mourners to his funeral service, this past Tuesday afternoon at the Yuma County Fair Grounds.
Fire fighters and other emergency personnel throughout the region attended the service, which was followed by a long procession around town, including past the Yuma Fire Hall, before Stallings, 34, was laid to rest in the Yuma Cemetery.
The City of Yuma closed its offices Tuesday afternoon so city workers could attend the service, and many businesses also were closed.
Stallings, a nine-year member of the Yuma Volunteer Fire Department and currently the captain, was north of town last Thursday afternoon, reportedly responding to a fire call when he drove into the back of a sugar beet truck, about one-half mile north of the Yuma Cemetery on Yuma County Road G. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Among those he has left behind are his wife Mickie, and their two young children, Owen, 5, and Keiley, 1, along with his parents, his sisters and their families, extended family members on both his and Mickie’s side of the family, as well as numerous friends. 
His death received widespread recognition. Colorado Governor Jared Polis ordered flags to be lowered to half-staff until sunset this past Tuesday, October 26, in honor of Stallings. The flags were lowered to half-staff at the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial, in Emmitsburg, Maryland, earlier this week for Stallings.
Darcy currently was a long-time member of the Yuma County Fair Board, and had been superintendent of the hog barn for the Yuma County Fair for several years.
The accident that took his life occurred at about 5:45 p.m. last Thursday, October 21.
According to the Colorado State Patrol report, it was suspected Stallings was responding to a fire call at the time of the crash. (Even more tragically, the fire east of Yuma ended up being a controlled burn and the fire call was quickly called off.) He was southbound on Road G, between Roads 40 and 39, in his 2020 GMC Sierra. A 2003 Kenworth tractor-trailer loaded with sugar beets also was southbound in front of Stallings.
According to the report, the beet truck was reportedly driving 25-30 miles per hour with plenty of sight distance, with the pickup rapidly approaching the beet truck. The front of the pickup collided with the rear of the trailer. The report states no brake marks from the pickup were evident prior to the crash, and the point of impact was fully on the southbound half of the roadway. The pickup was wedged underneath the Kenworth’s trailer. The semi slowed to a stop after the impact.
The pickup caught fire and was fully engulfed, while the Kenworth’s trailer was partially engulfed.
The Kenworth’s driver, Miguela Garcia Perez, 48, of Holyoke, and the passenger, Juan Casillas Moran, 53, of Yuma, attempted to free Stallings from the pickup, according to the CSP report, but were unsuccessful before the fire fully engulfed the pickup.
Stallings was pronounced dead at the scene.
Memorial contributions may be made to the family to establish educational funds for Owen and Keiley.
One can read Stallings’ full obituary inside this edition.
