HERRIN - Funeral arrangements have been made for the two Herrin children killed during a Saturday accident on Interstate 24 in Massac County. Services will be conducted at 11 a.m. Saturday at the First Baptist Church in Herrin for Kip Dewayne Gooch, 11, and 7-week-old Kelisha Cleveland Gooch.

Visitation will be held at the church from 4 to 9 p.m. on Friday and one hour before the service on Saturday.

Kelli Gooch, 34, was returning home after a family visit in Kentucky with her four children Saturday evening. She pulled her minivan onto the shoulder of Interstate 24, near westbound mile marker 34, to attend to her colicky baby.

Shortly after she stopped, a truck drove into the Gooch's 1996 Ford mini-van.

The accident took place at about 7 p.m. when a semi-truck driven by Danny Curtis Loy, 50, of Ashland City, Tenn., drifted to the side of the westbound lane and stuck the family's vehicle. According to witnesses after the truck slammed into the family van, it continued off the road and struck a tree. Loy was charged with improper lane usage.

Kip Gooch died at the scene. He had just completed the fifth grade at Herrin Elementary School. Kelisha Gooch also died of injuries.

Kelli Gooch received major injuries and was taken to Lourdes Hospital, as was Kellen Gooch, 1. They were later released.

Kwinci Gooch, 6, suffered major injuries and was taken to Lourdes, but later airlifted to Vanderbilt Medical

Center.

For days the Gooch family held vigil over Kwinci Gooch at the Tennessee hospital. The little girl spent three days in intensive care. On Wednesday she was released and brought back to Herrin.

Cathy Bencini, a family friend, said Kwinci has a broken leg and is wearing a neck brace.

A Gooch Family Memorial Fund has been set up at Old National Bank. Individuals may drop off donations at any local Old National Bank location or may mail it to the Marion location, P.O. Box 1050, Marion, Il 62952. The fund was set up by New Birth Kingdom Church in Carbondale where the Gooch family are members.

nicole.sack@thesouthern.com

618-529-5454 x 15816