West Branch teacher dies in head-on crash

NORTH GEORGETOWN- A West Branch elementary teacher has died following a two-vehicle crash in Butler Township Thursday morning.

Jennifer L. Baker, 33, a third-grade teacher at Beloit Elementary from Kensington, was killed when 19-year-old Rikki S. Wheatly III of Mechanicstown traveled left of center on Rochester Road just south of Georgetown Road and struck her vehicle head-on at 8:38 a.m., according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

She was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash, according to the patrol report.

Baker's children, 7-year-old Jacob (a first-grader at Beloit) and 4-year-old Madilynn, were transported to Canton Aultman Hospital for treatment.

Wheatley was flown by helicopter to St. Elizabeth's Hospital.

According to schools Superintendent Dr. Scott Weingart, the school learned about the fatal crash in the morning and had school counselors and grief counselors from the West Branch Ministerial Association provide counsel and support to staff and students. Staff members then met with the children in each of their classes in the afternoon to explain what had happened, he said, and parents were notified that the staff had talked with the children and encouraged to talk with them at home, as well.

At West Branch, Baker served as a member of the District-wide School Improvement Team, along with the Local Professional Development Committee. Both of these committees demonstrated her commitment to helping both the district and her students' success, Weingart noted.

"Anyone who ever met Jennifer knew that she was born to be a teacher," he said. "We are absolutely heart-broken and our deepest sympathies go to her husband, her two children and her family. This is a loss to the West Branch Community."

A 1994 graduate of West Branch High School, Baker graduated from Kent State University with a degree in Elementary Education and began her career at Maple Ridge Elementary School in 1997 as a fifth-grade teacher. When Maple Ridge was closed in 2004, she moved with the teaching staff to Beloit, where she taught fifth grade and, eventually, third grade.

Weingart described Baker as an outstanding educator.

"I had the good fortune of knowing Mrs. Baker for a long time," he said. "I watched her grow from an outstanding student to an energetic and passionate teacher. She was beloved by her students and the staff with whom she worked. Mrs. Baker was dedicated to the profession, serving on numerous school committees, and she was committed to her students and to her own family."

Beloit Elementary will be in session Friday with grief counselors available to students, staff and parents, Weingart said, noting that the staff will attempt to have as normal a day as possible for students while providing support to them and each other at this difficult time.

Funeral service arrangements are pending at Stark Memorial in Salem.

Kevin Howell can be reached at khowell@salemnews.net