Fund Set Up To Help Family Of Carthage Student Who Died In Crash

KENOSHA COUNTY, WI — The community is mourning the loss of Carthage University freshman Griffin Schumow of Lindenhurst, Illinois, after authorities say he was hit by a vehicle on the 1700 block of Sheridan Road just after 3:20 p.m. Thursday and lost his life.

The area Schumow was struck along Sheridan Road is a four-lane highway that is briefly divided by a grassy median near the university's tennis courts and baseball diamond. According to a Kenosha News report, Schumow, 19, was trying to cross the four-lane road at the north end of the campus by the Smeds Tennis Center was he was struck by a truck. First responders carried out lifesaving measures, however he was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Kenosha News report.

According to Carthage University, Prof. Tracy Gartner, director of the Environmental Science Program at Carthage, had Griffin as a student in her Introduction to Environmental Science course this spring. “He was creative, kind, and passionate about the outdoors,” Prof. Gartner said in a university report. “He was clearly comfortable with who he was, and in his own quiet way, connected with me and the other students in class,” she remembered. “We are all grateful for the time that we had to spend together this semester. I wish I would have had more opportunity to get to know Griffin better, as it was clear there was so much he had yet to show us.”

According to police, the driver who struck Schumow stayed at the scene of the accident and cooperated with officers on scene. The vehicle is described as a newer-model silver Ford pickup. After the accident, the truck was towed from the scene and had visible front-end damage.

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The Griffin Schumow Memorial Fund has been set up for relatives of Schumow to help provide funding for funeral costs and other related expenses.

Carthage, a small private university in Kenosha County on the shores of Lake Michigan issued a statement Thursday, "The death of a Carthage College student in an accident earlier today has shaken the campus community. Carthage’s most immediate concern is to extend our full support to the student’s family. Recognizing the need to support one another, Carthage is making grief counseling available to students, faculty and staff."

Carthage is offering counseling and support services for students, faculty and staff as the campus mourns the loss of Schumow.

"The College is working with Griffin’s family to determine the best way to honor Griffin’s life. Our community will be affected by this tragedy in many ways. Please continue to keep Griffin’s family and friends in your thoughts and prayers," according to the university.

An obituary can be found online at Dignity Memorial funeral home. Memorial services will be held on Friday, May 4, at Marsh Funeral Home, 305 N. Cemetery Road in Gurnee, Illinois.

Image Via Carthage University