an charged in crash that killed two children near Middlebury

Photo by Scott Rodgerson A man accused of causing a crash that killed two children in Elkhart County is now facing multiple felony charges. Jason D. Hoover has been charged with six counts, including causing death while operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated and causing serious bodily injury while operating a vehicle while intoxicated. Additional charges allege he was operating a vehicle with a Schedule I or II controlled substance in his system. The charges stem from a crash on February 20, 2026, just after 8 a.m. on State Road 4, south of Middlebury. According to the Elkhart County Sheriff’s Office, a pickup truck traveling west collided with the rear of a horse-drawn buggy traveling in the same direction. Four children were inside the buggy at the time of the crash. Two children, identified as 8-year-old Jenna Miller and 7-year-old Derek Bontrager, were pronounced dead at the scene. Two others were transported to the hospital with serious injuries. Authorities say Hoover is also facing two unrelated drug charges stemming from a separate incident in February.