Funeral Set For Geneva High Grad Killed In Downstate Crash

GENEVA, IL -- A 2017 graduate of Geneva High School died over the weekend following a Saturday crash north of Bloomington. Eweart "Daine" Rice-Picasso, 18, of St. Charles, was taken to a Peoria hospital where he was pronounced dead Sunday morning. The crash happened at about 3:50 a.m. Saturday in the northbound lane of I-55 south of Pontiac, the Aurora Beacon-News reports.

Daine was a 2017 graduate of Geneva High School, Principal Tom Rogers wrote in a letter to parents and students on Tuesday. Rogers said school officials planned to share information about Daine's death with Geneva High students on Wednesday.

"We understand that this news will be troubling to our students," Rogers said. "Please encourage your child to seek assistance in the days to come if they are in need."

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The school's student services staff, which consists of counselors, psychologists and social workers, are available to talk with Geneva High students, Rogers said.

Meanwhile, a visitation for Daine has been set for Sunday from 2 to 6 p.m. at Yurs Funeral Home, 1771 W. State St. in Geneva. A funeral mass will be held at 10:30 a.m. Monday at St. John Neumann Catholic Church in St. Charles.

Also this past week, Geneva High was placed on a soft lockdown Monday after a student poured gasoline, which had been in a water bottle, on himself while inside the school's cafeteria. Students and staff were able to take actions to prevent the student from harming himself or others, authorities said.

• Geneva High Student Pours Gas On Himself In School Cafeteria: School Officials
  

Rogers said counselors have also been available to help students coping with Monday's incident as well as Daine's death.

"Student Services teams visited classrooms throughout the day on Tuesday to help students process the events of the last several days..." Rogers said.

Rogers added the following resources were also available:

• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
• Geneva School District 304 Community Resources

More on Patch

• Students Showed Compassion, Prevented Student From Harming Himself, Others: Geneva High Principal

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