MARSHALL TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- A Highlands School District teacher was killed in a car crash on Interstate 79 late Wednesday night.

State police said Renee Parkinson, 26, of Callery, Butler County, did not survive the crash that happened in the northbound lanes of the highway.

Parkinson's vehicle was rear-ended by another vehicle near the Wexford exit at about 10:30 p.m., police said. The impact sent Parkinson's car over a hillside, ejecting her.

Police said she died at the scene.

The man who was driving the car that struck Parkinson's vehicle fled the crash scene, police said.

Matthew Lyle Crowsen was later found by police and taken to a Pittsburgh hospital to be treated for injuries he suffered in the crash, police said.

Police are still investigating the cause of the crash. No charges have been filed at this time.

Parkinson was an elementary music teacher, rotating between kindergarten and fifth grade at Fawn and Natrona Heights elementary schools.

"To end the school year like this, with someone so young, she was only 26 years old, obviously a horrible story," said Principal Gene Nicastro.

Administrators said her greatest strength was building relationships with children that grew deeper than the common student-teacher relationship.

"I felt really sad, because I didn't even take her as a teacher, I took her as a friend," said student Katelyn Kendra.

"The kids will miss her," said parent Beth Kendra. "It'll be sad come Sept. 4 when they start school and they don't have her here as a teacher, so I think they'll really miss her."

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