On February 14th Officer Toombs arrived at an inmate work site to pick up nine inmates from work duty. The inmates loaded into the Virginia Department of Corrections work van en route to the Stafford Diversion Center. Officer Toombs suddenly started coughing and then lost consciousness. The van drifted off the road down an embankment, hitting a tree. Officer Toombs sustained serious injuries and was transported to the hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. Transportation Officer Dennis Toombs had served with the Virginia Department of Corrections for four years. He is survived by his wife, Melissa; seven-year-old daughter, Haley; mother, Tamela; sister, Amy; and 17-year-old niece, Alexis.