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St. Louis Post-Dispatch

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Monday, November 30, 2009 9:03 PM CST
EIU assistant coach killed, others hurt in accident

By the JG/T-C

EFFINGHAM — An Eastern Illinois University assistant football coach was killed and another assistant coach was injured in an accident that occurred while they were returning from the team’s playoff game Saturday.

Jeffrey O. Hoover, 41, of Charleston, the team’s offensive line coach, was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident on Interstate 57 just south of Effingham about 7:45 p.m. Saturday.

Hoover’s wife, Penny A. Hoover, lost control of the GMC Suburban she was driving when she swerved to avoid hitting a deer in the roadway, according to an Illinois State Police report. It said the vehicle was northbound on the interstate, overturned several times and ended up in a ditch on the east side of the highway.

Eric N. Cash, 29, of Charleston, the football team’s strength and conditioning coach, was also a passenger in the vehicle and was injured along with Penny Hoover, Cash’s wife Sheri F. Cash, and three children.

Penny Hoover, 43, and Sheri Cash, 34, were both listed in stable condition Sunday at Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana. The state police report said Eric Cash and the children initially were taken to St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital in Effingham. Eric Cash was said to be in stable condition at Carle on Sunday evening.

The children in the vehicle were Lauren E. Hoover, 13, Cole D. Hoover, 11, and McKinley M. Cash, 3, according to the state police report. One is still hospitalized at Carle for observation.

For more about Jeffrey Hoover, see Sports.

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Being Me wrote on Nov 29, 2009 9:52 PM:

" So sad! My prayers go out to their families. "

Saluki Alum wrote on Nov 29, 2009 10:25 PM:

" Coach Hoover was a true great of FCS football. He will be missed. Our thoughts are with his family "

~OpenUnateD~ wrote on Nov 30, 2009 8:30 AM:

" This news breaks my heart. EIU has certainly had a bad year. And to all those people who get upset about hunters 'killing Bambi' - because of 'Bambi', a young father was killed. Prayers for both of these family, and for the EIU family as well. "

VTucker wrote on Nov 30, 2009 10:19 AM:

" Prayers for the families involved, and for those in the hospital as well. "

acidburn wrote on Nov 30, 2009 2:58 PM:

" WOW, look at that, St. Anthony transfers people to Carle too. "

devilishangel61401 wrote on Nov 30, 2009 4:26 PM:

" My heartfelt condolensces and prayers go out to the familes and freinds of the families involved "

~STRANGER~ wrote on Nov 30, 2009 5:54 PM:

" opinionated,"bambi" was around long before man encroached upon its territory. "

advocate wrote on Dec 1, 2009 8:46 AM:

" This is a terrible loss for Eastern. But it's not "Bambi's" fault. It was an accident. It seems that if eveyone else survived the accident, I'm guessing he did not have a seatbelt on. It's really a moot point now. How very, very sad. "

logic over passion wrote on Dec 1, 2009 7:18 PM:

" Opinionated, seems pretty tacky to be advocating for hunters' rights at a time like this. But people will still die in car accidents even if we kill every deer alive. And if deer hunters were really concerned about public safety/deer-car traffic accidents, then they would take out more does instead of going after the trophy buck with the huge antlers to mount on the wall. When you leave an overabundance of does, even if only 1 buck were to survive, there will still be overpopulation because that 1 buck can impregnate many, many, many does.

But the bottom line of this story is that this family has endured a tragic accident and needs our support and prayers, nothing else. "

~OpenUnateD~ wrote on Dec 2, 2009 10:18 AM:

" Dear Logic - and others. You are right and I apologize. I let my emotions get the better of me because I feel so sad for these families. I am not a hunter and don't really care about 'hunters right', but I have hit a deer and totaled my car, therefore I just have a dislike for them. Truly, my words were out of compassion. At a time like this you just want to blame something. Ms. Hoover, is absolutely NOT to blame! I do not know any of these people, but my heart hurts for them. Thanks for setting me straight. You were absolutely right. "