Idaho City classroom aide who died in Lucky Peak crash identified; schools closed

The Idaho City community is mourning the loss of one of its own Friday, in the wake of a Thursday night crash at Lucky Peak reservoir that left a mother of three dead.

The woman worked in Idaho City schools, and the entire district is closed today.

Kathleen McCoy Cronin, 50, of Centerville, was a classroom aide in the Idaho City school district on and off for the past seven years, School District Superintendent John McFarlane said Friday morning.

The Ada County coroner's autopsy report shows that the primary cause of Cronin's death was blunt force trauma.

Police responded at 5:15 p.m. Thursday to a motorist's report that a vehicle had gone into Lucky Peak reservoir near Mores Creek and the high bridge on Idaho 21.

The vehicle, which McFarlane said was a Subaru and not a pickup as previously reported, had been headed south on Idaho 21 when it left the road, falling nearly 200 feet to the icy water below.

Divers were in the water by 6 p.m., and they determined that the driver had died. Her body was removed at 6:45 p.m., according to police.

The cause of the accident is under investigation. An Ada County Sheriff's spokeswoman said Friday that the person who saw the vehicle go in the water was on the other side of high bridge and didn't get a good view of what preceded the crash. Investigators saw no apparent skid marks last night.

McFarlane, the Idaho City schools superintendent, said Cronin was a beloved member of the community and city schools. She has three children, including two who attend school in the district.

"She was a wonderful woman. She always had a smile. She was always willing to help," McFarlane said. "She was one of those people who everyone liked. This affects the whole district."

McFarlane said the school district's emergency notification system didn't work last night, and he and other staff were up until 2:30 a.m. trying to get it to work. He and several others came back in at 5 a.m. to individually call all the staff and parents in the 420-student school district to let them know there is no school today.

Staff will meet later this morning to discuss how they will handle grief counseling and services to honor the beloved teacher's aide.

This is the second tragedy the community has faced in less than a month. The community came together two weeks ago to mourn the loss of a student who died recently.

Katy Moeller: 377-6413