Pastor in critical condition after head-on collision

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- A local congregation is left praying for the recovery of its critically injured pastor and mourning the loss of his wife following a traffic accident over the weekend.

Rebecca Larkin, 36, and her husband, the Rev. Darren Larkin, 39, who pastored the First Assembly of God Church in Chaffee, were en route to a church Valentine's Day dinner in Jackson when the accident occurred Friday evening on Highway 25.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the couple was northbound 2 miles south of Gordonville when their car was struck head-on as 25-year-old Michael Berry of Sedgewickville, Mo., improperly attempted to pass an 18-wheel truck.

Rebecca Larkin was pronounced dead at the scene. Darren Larkin was first flown by helicopter to St. Francis Medical Center, then taken to St. Louis University Hospital, where he remained in critical condition Monday.

Berry and passenger Michael Howe, 20, of Cape Girardeau, were both taken by helicopter to St. Francis Medical Center with serious injuries. Officials at St. Francis would not comment on either Berry's or Howe's condition Monday.

First Assembly of God member and trustee Fines McAlister of Chaffee arrived at the scene 10 minutes after the accident took place. He spoke with a trapped but conscious Darren Larkin for about 20 minutes until emergency workers began to extricate him from the vehicle.

"He asked me what happened, where he was, where I was," McAlister said. "The crash happened so fast he couldn't remember anything about it."

At that point, McAlister did not know that Rebecca Larkin had died in the crash. When her husband asked where she was, McAlister told him she was being attended to.

According to McAlister, Darren Larkin is in a body cast with numerous broken bones. He has been sedated. McAlister said as of Monday afternoon he doesn't think Larkin is aware of his wife's death.

"I think they're waiting to make arrangements for her until he's been told," said McAlister, who visited St. Louis University Hospital Saturday and spoke with Darren Larkin's mother.

"As a congregation, we're holding up as best we can. It's been hard on us," he said. "But we were there for Brother Larkin at a time when he needed us."

The Larkins had been at the Chaffee church since September. The two were originally from Oklahoma but had spent the past 19 years in Tennessee, where their grown daughter now resides.

At this point, the church does not have any fund raisers planned to help Larkin. But McAlister said the First Assembly of God Church in Dexter, Mo., already has contributed $1,000 to help with medical bills and other expenses.

cclark@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 128