Former Lawrence High School football standout dies in car crash
Tonight, the community mourns the loss of a former Lawrence High football great.
33-year-old Adrian Garcia, of Topeka, died at Lawrence Memorial Hospital around midnight yesterday.
An accident was reported near the Chi Omega Fountain on KU’s campus.
A citizen alerted authorities that two individuals were seen running from the scene.
Officers later located a damaged vehicle at Crescent and Spencer, after it struck a utility pole.
Garcia was transported to LMH, where he later died. The other individual was not injured.
Family friend, Adam Green, received the news from Garcia's aunt this morning.
"Whenever someone of that age passes away, that's just kind of a shocking feeling and kind of a pit in your stomach," he said.
The former Lawrence High football player is remembered for his character both on and off the field.
"He was an outstanding player for us, just a quality kid in high school. He was a people person. He always had a smile on his face all the time," Lawrence High School Football Coach Dirk Wedd said.
Wedd, Garcia’s former coach, says he was loyal to Lawrence High, and visited the team after his glory days.
"He had his opinions and he knew we were going to have a good football season," Wedd said.
The Lawrence Police Department is still investigating the incident.