Amish bakery mourns manager killed in bike crash, community rallies to support family after tragic accident

An Amish bakery in Todd County, Kentucky, is mourning the loss of their manager after a tragic crash in Hopkinsville.Hopkinsville police said Rachel Hoover, 34, was riding her bike with three others on Pembroke Road when a driver under the influence crashed into them. Hoover and her friend, Marlene Martin, 31, lost their lives in the incident.Schlabach's Bakery, a favorite stop for home-style baked goods in Todd County, is feeling the profound loss of their manager."We've been here since 1970," said James Schlabach, the bakery owner.Even on cloudy days, baking brings its own kind of light, but one of those rays isn't here anymore."Happy and sad at the same time, hard to describe it," Schlabach said.The mood inside the kitchen has changed."She was the manager," Schlabach said.Not having Hoover around is like trying to bake cookies without butter, according to those who worked with her."This morning we were doing oatmeal cookies," Schlabach said.It doesn't come together the same way."Rachel added more flour, but we don't know how much. We were trying to figure it out," Schlabach said. She was riding her bike with three others returning home from a shopping trip in Hopkinsville when they were struck by the driver."The girl from Pennsylvania who was visiting was hit first and then Rachel. Rachel's sister, Lucy, who also works here, saw everything happen," Schlabach said.Schlabach hates that the crash took his manager, but also her friend visiting."The amount of people that are paying customers and stuff, how much they care is phenomenal. We don't feel worthy of it. It makes you feel humbled," Schlabach said.To help the Hoover family with medical expenses, the bakery has launched a fundraiser."Whatever little funds we could raise. Rachel did so much for us, just a little way of helping her out," Schlabach said.James knows the team will be grieving for a while."For the other girls, Rachel was more like a mom figure," Schlabach said.He's holding on to the memories — like the time she accidentally made cookies too flat, and they turned into one of the bakery's best-selling items."We discovered one of the ingredients. She put 3 cups instead of 3 pounds. I'm like you know what Rachel? Let's put filling in between them and sell them," Schlabach said.James believes Rachel is in a heavenly kitchen now — where joy is always rising."She's in heaven happy and singing," Schlabach said.Police have arrested Isaiah Edwards, 30, charging him with operating a motor vehicle under the influence. His third offense.Rachel's funeral is scheduled for Wednesday.Want to help the Hoover family during this difficult time? You can contribute to their fundraiser for medical expenses by tapping here. Have you visited Schlabach's Bakery and met Rachel? Share your memories or condolences by emailing [email protected] story was reported by Aaron Cantrell and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.