Alex Jon Farkas

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A great player, teammate and friend. 

January 15, 2008

Deadly crash claims 'an incredible kid'

Items placed by friends and family of Quincy High School student Alex Farkas are shown at the site of a traffic fatality near the intersection of 24th and Harrison. Farkas was pronounced dead early Sunday morning after his 1995 Chevrolet Camaro collided with the southeast corner of a storage shed. (H-W Photo/Steve Bohnstedt) By RODNEY HART

Herald-Whig Staff Writer

A Quincy teen was killed in a one-vehicle crash late Saturday night on Harrison just east of 24th Street.

Authorities said Alex Farkas, 16, was traveling westbound on Harrison at a high rate of speed when he lost control of his 1995 Chevrolet Camaro. Police said the car spun 180 degrees, went off the right side of the road and struck a storage shed on the driver's side a minute before midnight.

Farkas was declared dead at the scene at 12:28 a.m. Sunday by Adams County Coroner Gary Hamilton. An inquest will be held at a later date. He was the only occupant of the vehicle and was wearing a seat belt, police said.

Farkas lived about half a mile west of the accident scene on Wilmar Court. The shed is across the street from Ridgebrook apartments, between Curtis Creek and 24th Street, and is the back yard of property owned by Chad E. Johnson of 1431 S. 24th.

The posted speed limit on Harrison is 30 miles an hour.

Friends gathered at the accident site Sunday and left a memorial to the Quincy High School junior. Quincy Police officers directed traffic at the busy 24th and Harrison intersection as people gathered to pay their respects. Balloons, photos and flowers were placed just outside an orange plastic fence surrounding the damaged shed.

Farkas was a lineman on the Quincy High School football team. Several of his friends said he'll be remembered for his smile and encouraging his football teammates to work hard.

Assistant football coach Josh Finklea told WGEM News that Farkas was "an incredible kid."

"I loved him, coached him for three years, and I remember the first time we had practice," Finklea said. "You know he stood out as a good ballplayer."

Head coach Rick Little, who completed his first season guiding the Blue Devils this past fall, called Farkas' death "a terrible loss."

"(Farkas) made me feel very, very comfortable, as coming in to a new situation, that's just the type of guy he was," Little told WGEM News.

Classes were continuing today as scheduled at Quincy High School. Counselors, psychologists and social workers were available for students requesting help.

School officials could not be reached for comment.

Visitation for Farkas is Tuesday at Duker and Haugh Funeral Home from 4 to 8 p.m. Funeral services are at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday at the funeral home, and at 10:30 a.m. at St. Anthony Catholic Church.

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Alex Jon Farkas 

Alex Jon Farkas, age 16, of 1810 NE Wilmar Ct & 625 South 16th, died on Sunday, January 13, 2008 due to injuries sustained in an automobile accident. He was born on February 4, 1991 in Lincoln, IL, the son of Dave & Robin (Hill) Farkas. Alex was a junior at Quincy Senior High School. He was the starting center for the QHS Football Team. He also worked at the Hy-Vee Store at Harrison. Alex is survived by: HIS FATHER: Dave Farkas and his wife Glenda. HIS MOTHER: Robin Farkas and her fiance Jack Niccum. ONE BROTHER: Joshua Farkas TWO STEP-SISTERS: Ashley Clark and Amber Clark. PATERNAL GRANDPARENTS: Louis & Nancy Farkas of Lincoln, IL MATERNAL GRANDPARENTS: Carl & Carolyn Hill of Bloomington, IL Other relatives include uncles, aunts, nieces, nephews, great-grandparents and cousins. Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, January 16, 2008 at 9:30 in the Duker & Haugh Funeral Home and at 10:30 in St. Anthony Catholic Church by Father Tom Hagstrom. Interment in Calvary Cemetery. Visitation will be held on Tuesday evening from 4-8 PM at the Duker & Haugh Funeral Home. Memorials may be made to the QHS Football Booster Club.