UPDATE: Driver of Truck In Fatal Accident Indicted

By: Brittany Lowe, Erin Pulsanti Email

Updated: Tue 6:47 PM, Jul 03, 2012

Update 6/29/2012 5:45 P.M.

An 18 year-old New Matamoras man is indicted for an april crash which took the life of Newport Elementary school teacher Laura Hoff.

Jacob Minder of New Matamoras is charged with aggravated vehicular homicide, reckless homicide and vehicular assault.

The April accident also seriously injured Hoff's two-year old grandson, who spent a month and a half in a Columbus hospital.

"It was raining pretty heavily at the time," Prosecutor James Schneider said Friday, "and reconstruction experts estimate his speed at the time of the wreck at 74 miles an hour."

Schneider adds there is no indication drugs or alcohol were involved in the accident.

UPDATE: 4/30/12

Colleagues call her one of the foundations of the school.

A teacher for 35 years at Newport Elementary, Laura Hoff's memory will forever live on with her students and her influence.

"She was a mentor both professionally and personally for many of the staff members here and for me as well," says Newport teacher Amy Powell.

Colleagues say even if students didn't have her has a teacher they still knew her and her influence.

Frontier District Superintendent Bruce Kidder says the next weeks will be handled gently when addressing her death.

"Especially the younger ones, they haven't really had to deal with the death of someone they know and I'm sure it's going to be traumatic for a lot of them," explains Newport teacher Brenda Wingrove.

"We will help with that, hopefully parents have also addressed that issue because it happened over the weekend there was an opportunity for parents to talk to their children also before coming back to school," says Kidder.

Kidder spoke with the teachers to develop a plan for when students return, "we're just trying to keep their day as normal as possible."

Superintendent Kidder explains professionals will be going into every elementary school classroom to openly talk and answer questions with the students.

"We're going to talk to them about the concept of losing someone," says Kidder.

Teachers says they hope to make students feel comfortable talking about the situation.

"We're going to plant a tree on the playground later this week for a memorial, we'll let the kids help do that so that they can feel like they're doing something to honor Mrs. Hoff," continues Wingrove.

And district wide, help will be there.

"But hopefully we can take the inspiration that shes spread through the community and take that and do many great things that she would've done," says Powell.

Students and teachers will be dismissed two hours early Wednesday for those who want to attend the funeral.

Services have been announced for those wishing to remember Hoff. Visitation is this Tuesday (May 1st) from 4:00 to 8:00 at Ingram's Funeral Home in St. Marys. The funeral is Wednesday (May 2nd) at 2:30 at Newport Baptist Church.

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UPDATE 4/30/2012 10:26 AM

Newport Elementary School students and staff are to report at regular time on Tuesday, May 1, 2012.

The entire Frontier Local School District will dismiss two hours early on Wednesday, May 2, 2012 due to the funeral for Laura Hoff.

UPDATE 4/29/2012 10:33 PM

"He said Laura had been killed in a car accident and I was just stunned," explains Brenda Wingrove, co-worker of Laura Hoff. "It didn't seem like it should even be real. It's just unbelievable. When you've known somebody for 35 years... it's just an unbelievable loss."

It's a shocking tragedy for the small community of Newport. Brenda Wingrove and Amy Powell recall the moment they learned their friend Laura Hoff died from injuries sustained in a car accident.

They say Hoff was a strong, brave, caring woman who influenced not only students but the entire Newport area.

"She cared first and foremost about the family. Her husband, her two children and their grandchildren," Wingrove says. "And after that- it was the kids at school."

"Laura was a foundation in her family, as well as the community and at Newport Elementary School," Powell adds "And I think she has passed her community pride, her values and her character on to her children and the children that she's had in class through the years."

Hoff had just finalized the details of her retirement which was to begin this June. Her friends say although they won't be able to see Hoff enjoy her retirement they know she's at peace and they'll always take a piece of Laura with them.

"We're sure that she's in a better place now and that she would want us to go on with the things that she felt strongly about," Wingrove says.

The Marietta Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol continues to investigate the accident.

The child passenger in the car is Hoff's grandson. Troopers say the young boy is listed in good condition at Children's Hospital in Columbus after emergency surgery Saturday night.

Newport Elementary School will be closed Monday for students. Teachers are to report to school at 10 in the morning.

A two car crash along Rt. 7 in Grandview Township has killed a woman and sent a child to a Columbus hospital.

Troopers with the Ohio State Highway Patrol say a truck, driven by 18 year-old Jacob Minder, of New Matamoras, was heading North on State Route 7. Officials believe Minder lost control of his vehicle, crossed the center lines and crashed into a van.

The van was driven by 58 year-old Laura Hoff of Newport. Hoff died from the injuries she received in the accident.

A child passenger in Hoff's van was transported to Marietta Memorial Hospital and was later flown to Children's Hospital in Columbus.

The New Matamoras Police, Washington County Sheriff's Office, Grandview Fire Department, Newport Fire Department and the Ohio Department of Transportation responded to the accident.

The crash remains under investigation by the Marietta Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
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A two car crash calls out the Ohio State Highway Patrol to Rt. 7, mile post 50.

The OSHP troopers are working to put all the pieces together at this time but they do tell us the call of the crash came in shortly before three this afternoon.

Troopers on scene believe the truck was driving north on state route 7 when the driver hydro planed, crossed the center lines, and crashed into the SUV.

The driver and a passenger in the van were taken to Marietta Memorial Hospital their identities and conditions are unknown at this time. The truck driver was unharmed.

Teacher Memorial