Visitation held for trooper killed in wreck

Trooper Andrew J. Stocks, 43, died in a collision with a garbage truck on Ten-Ten Road in Garner Tuesday afternoon. Investigators said Stocks lost control of his cruiser while responding to another wreck.

“When I found out it was him, I will be honest with you, I cried for a little while,” Thorpe said.

Visitation was held at the Brown-Wynne Funeral Home, 200 Southeast Maynard Road in Cary, Friday.

"He is, was a fine, fine young man, and I think that I lost a good friend," said Bob Emerson, a close friend of Stocks' parents.

Stocks graduated from Cary High School in 1983, served as a Marine in Afghanistan and completed an 18-month tour of duty in Iraq with the Army Reserves. He joined the Highway Patrol in 2004.

"His devotion to his duties, to his country, to the state of North Carolina, to his family are commendable," Emerson said. "And his habits, character and reputation were above reproach.

“We prayed for Andrew when he was in Afghanistan and we prayed for him when he was in Iraq. We never dreamed that it would be back home taking care of us in the state that something like this would happen,” family friend Catherine Williams said Friday.

Stocks is survived by his wife, Liane, and a stepdaughter. He was the 60th state trooper to die in the line of duty.

Funeral services will be held at Colonial Baptist Church, 6051 Tryon Road in Cary, at 1 p.m. Saturday. A Highway Patrol honor guard will escort Stocks' body.

Jim Mercendetti, the Stocks’ family pastor, will speak at the funeral. He said he hopes “to give them the comfort of knowing they will see him (Stocks) again.”

A memorial fund for Stocks' family has been established at the North Carolina State Employees Credit Union. Donations can be mailed to NCSECU, Attn: Sherri Cannady, PO Box 450, Garner, NC 27529.