Iowa state trooper laid to rest

ANKENY, Iowa (AP) - Dozens of Iowa State Patrol troopers and police officers from across the state turned out Saturday for services for a trooper who died in a fiery crash south of Indianola.

Law enforcement officers at Mark Toney's funeral wore black bands across their badges and white carnation boutonnieres that pointed downward, toward the heart, the Des Moines Register reported. A cruiser parked outside Northview Middle School in Ankeny, where the funeral was held, had a black mask with a blue stripe spread over its windshield in Toney's honor.

"He was willing to put himself in harm's way so that we could go safely," patrol chief Col. Patrick Hoye said.

Toney, 43, died Tuesday afternoon when his cruiser left U.S. Highway 65, landed in a field and burst into flames. Witnesses have said he was northbound with his emergency lights on when he crashed. The Department of Public Safety said Thursday that there were no communications between state radio and Toney indicating his actions just prior to or during the crash and that there were no records indicating he had a pending call for serving or was initiating a traffic stop. The crash remains under investigation.

Toney was born in Murphysboro, Ill., and grew up in Ankeny. He served with the state patrol for the past 24 years. His death was the first in the line of duty for the state patrol in almost 21 years.