The offensive line coach for Eastern Illinois University football Jeffrey O. Hoover, 41, was killed in a car accident on Interstate 57 south of Effingham Saturday.
Hoover, another member of the coaching staff and members of both men’s families were traveling back to Charleston after a football game at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale when their vehicle swerved off the road to avoid a deer.
Several members of Hoover’s family, as well as strength coach Erich Cash, 29, and members of his family, also were injured in the crash.
According to Illinois State Police District 12, Hoover’s wife, Penny, was driving a Chevrolet Suburban northbound on the interstate when she swerved the vehicle in an attempt to avoid a deer in the roadway at mile post 148, near Watson, at 7:43 p.m. The vehicle rolled several times, before landing in the east side of the roadway.
Effingham County Coroner Leigh Hammer pronounced Jeffrey Hoover dead at the scene, resulting from blunt force trauma to the head and chest.
Several other passengers were transported via helicopter and ambulance to St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital and Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana.
Driver Penny Hoover, 43, and Sheri Cash, 34, both of Charleston, were flown to Carle Foundation Hospital, and both were listed in fair condition Sunday afternoon.
Strength coach Eric Cash is also at Carle Hospital, where he is in stable condition, according to university officials.
Lauren Hoover, 13, and Cole Hoover, 11, also of Charleston were transported to St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital in Effingham, but have since been released, according to information from the university. A third child, McKinley Cash, 3, of Charleston is being held for observation at Carle Hospital.
Students and staff at the Charleston campus were saddened by the news of Hoover’s death, but it was especially hard on the football players he coached.
“Football coaches around the country turn into a second father for most of us players and for some of us our only father figure. Coach Hoover was that person to many of us,” stated senior offensive lineman Chris Vaccaro in a university press release. “He always had an open door where we could come in and talk to him about anything anytime. He was a great man and a great coach.”
Hoover was in his third season at EIU. Before moving to Charleston in 2007, he worked at Portland State as offensive coordinator.
According to Hammer, the crash has been ruled an accident.
The Illinois State Police and Coroner’s Office are handling the death investigation
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Tony Huffman can be reached at 217-347-7151 ext. 135 or tony.huffman@effinghamdailynews.com
Local News
Related Photos
Discussion
November 30, 2009
EIU football coach killed in I-57 accident
- Local News
-
- Area counties report lower unemployment Unemployment rates dropped precipitously through the Effingham area in April, according to statistics released Friday by the Illinois Department of Employment Security. Jobless rates dropped between 1.7 percent in Effingham County and 3 percent in Cu
- State begins publicizing new professional licenses The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation is well known for publicizing the misdeeds of licensed professionals who have had their licenses suspended or revoked. But the IDFPR has decided to share good news, as well. The departm
-
Scholastic team heads to nationals
TOLEDO — For the past eight months, Cumberland High School Scholastic Bowl team has met five times a week, rigorously drilling over esoteric trivia and honing their skills for competition. They will find out if the hard work paid off Friday as five m
- Police search for semitrailer looters Effingham police are seeking burglars who stole a wide variety of items from a trucking company lot sometime over the weekend. The thieves broke into three semitrailers at SAIA Trucking, 1414 E. Fayette Ave., sometime before 7:35 a.m. Monday. Police
-
Storms ravage area
Dave Habbe still had a house after Monday night's severe storms. The rural Effingham resident woke up Tuesday to find his vehicles intact, as well. But Habbe still had quite a mess to clean up. Fallen trees and limbs blocked the circle drive to his h
- Crash victims identified The five men killed in a van wreck west of Vandalia Monday have been identified. Fayette County Coroner Bruce Bowen said the men, all from Baltimore, were identified as Emerson Baldwin, 54; Andrew Canada, 53; Antonie Mitchell, 42; Mark William 52; an
- Board moves forward with new track NEWTON -- Despite a tight budget going into next school year, Jasper County School District accepted a bid for a new track Monday. The district accepted in a 6-1 vote a bid from Midwest Track Builders of more than $91,000 for a new latex track for th
- Split board OKs fund to maintain TREC Effingham County Board agreed in a split vote Monday to create a maintenance fund for the multiuse trail west of Effingham. In a 5-3 vote, the board agreed to set aside $2,500 per year for trail maintenance. Chairman Jim Niemann said county officials
-
5 killed in I-70 van crash
A van carrying church members returning from a California gathering careened off of a southern Illinois freeway and overturned several times Monday, killing five people and sending six others to hospitals, authorities said
-
Crowd turns out to dedicate VFW memorial
After months of design, construction and maintenance, the new memorial at Effingham VFW Post 1769 was dedicated during a ceremony Saturday. More than 100 people attended the dedication of the granite memorial with bricks commemorating past and presen
- More Local News Headlines
