EFFINGHAM — A former Effingham Junior High School principal has died after crashing his car in Clinton County.
Scott Holst, 50, of Salem, died Dec. 20 at St. Joseph Hospital, Breese, from injuries he sustained after hitting another vehicle head-on while he was driving on U.S. Route 50 east of Carlisle, said Clinton County Coroner Phillip Moss. Holst was on his way home from work at Kaskaskia College in Centralia at about 5:50 p.m. when he wrecked, said Moss.
“The road through there has several curves, and it looks as though he got caught in a crosswind, overcorrected and then hit the oncoming vehicle head on,” said Moss.
Moss said no one else was seriously hurt in the crash. Routine toxicology test results were not available as of Wednesday, but Moss said he has no reason to believe that the crash was anything other than a tragic accident.
Holst was principal of Effingham Junior High from 2003 until June 2010, when he resigned to take a job at Kaskaskia. Before that, he was assistant principal of the school from 2001-2003.
“Many of the staff at Unit 40, and especially at the EJHS, knew Scott very well and appreciated his efforts in supporting their work with students,” said Effingham Superintendent Mark Doan in a prepared statement. “This news is a shock and it will take some time for staff members to deal with this tragic news.”
In addition to his time as an Effingham administrator, Holst had been an Effingham competitor as the assistant coach of the Salem High School girls basketball team for the past 17 years. His wife, Janet Sims Holst, is the head coach of the Apollo Conference rival and has been leading the Lady Wildcats since 1995, according to the school’s website.
After leaving Effingham, Holst became the administrator of the federally funded TRIO program at Kaskaskia. The program helps low-income, first-generation college students and students with disabilities or other needs achieve post-secondary degrees.
Holst is survived by his wife; his mother, Mardelle Perry Holst, of Augusta; three daughters, Riley, Shelby and Sydney, all of Salem; three brothers; and several nieces and nephews. His father preceded him in death.
Funeral services were held Sunday at the Grace United Methodist Church in Salem. However, future memorial services are planned, including at Kaskasia College, after the holidays.
Larry Rogers, of Rogers-Atkins Funeral Home, Salem, said he believed the family wanted privacy. Memorial contributions can be made to his daughters’ college funds through the funeral home at 403 S. Broadway, Salem, IL 62881.
