Harrisburg High School mourns student who died after wreck

HARRISBURG - A Harrisburg High School junior died Friday, Aug. 17 afternoon from injuries received in a crash in Williamson County on Thursday.

Garrett Donald "Lil Man" Turcott died at 5:47 p.m. Friday at Deaconess Hospital in Evansville. He and his father Gary Turcott were involved in a three-car crash at the intersection of Illinois 13 and Illinois 166 on early Thursday afternoon.

Garrett would have started his junior year at Harrisburg High School Monday, where he played football and wrestled in addition to participating in many other school activities.

Harrisburg Unit 3 School Superintendent Mike Gauch said students, teachers, administrators and the community were deeply saddened by Garrett's passing.

"Unit 3 has endured another tragedy by losing one of our family. We mourn and pray today for the passing of Garrett Turcott," Gauch said. "Our district will be here to assist the family and are happy to provide the facility for any memorial service. Our staff and administration will have counselors on hand to meet with students today and help them deal with this loss."

In lamenting Garrett Turcott's passing, Gauch referred to the January deaths of two middle school students and their mother in a house fire.

Garrett was a member of Bankston Fork Baptist Church, and had chosen to give the gift of life to several people by being an organ donor.

Services for Garrett will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 25 in Davenport Gymnasium at HHS, with the Rev. Donnie Hughes officiating. A funeral visitation will be from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 24 at Davenport Gym.