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Tragedy strikes Saints basketball team
over Thanksgiving break
Nov. 26, 2004
by Reid Petty
Sports editor
Seward County men’s basketball player Robert Townsend died
in a traffic accident in Pratt County Thanksgiving Day.
 Townsend
was driving a Jeep eastbound on Highway 54, when he attempted
to pass a vehicle and struck two westbound cars. Townsend swiped
the first car and then hit a GMC truck head-on. The collision
claimed the lives of Townsend and the driver of the truck, 28-year-old
Nicole Quimby of Buffalo, Okla.
Townsend had missed the Saints basketball bus Wednesday morning
when the team met to travel to Odessa, Texas. Townsend was headed
back home to Topeka where he had been a standout basketball player
at Highland Park. He was a member of Coffeyville's Region VI championship
team two years ago before making the transfer to Seward. Townsend
was 21 years old.
The rest of the Saints team and coaches found out about Townsend’s
death shortly before they played Thursday night at the West Texas
Shootout in Odessa. Seward dropped the game to Lee, Texas 71-67.
Funeral Services will be at 1 p.m. Dec. 3 at Highland Park United
Methodist Church in Topeka, 2914 S.E. Michigan Ave.
A memorial fund has been established. Funds can be sent to Commerce
Bank and Trust, 3035 S.W. Topeka Blvd., Topeka, KS 66611.
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