Carroll Co. teacher is remembered as dynamic

He is a new face at Manchester Valley High School, but Devin Spence was involved.

He crunched numbers inside this classroom.  Outside, he is remembered as an amazing big brother.  Spence was only 24. 

"We gotta live every day and remember how fortunate it is that we had Mr. Spence here for a period of time.  The biggest loss I feel is going to be for our students and our student athletes," said Dr. Dave Dolch, Athletic Director, Manchester Valley High School.

We were at the crash scene in Westminster before we knew Spence was the driver.  His Ford Focus went off Sullivan Rd. near Route 27. 

The Carroll County Sheriff's Office says ice may have caused his car to cross the center line and hit a school bus.  Bernie Koontz taught Spence in the county before he went to Towson University and came back to work just a year ago.

"I tried to be strong for the kids and get them through and Devin was one of those kids that had come around and had been a student of mine at Winters Mill when he was there and was an outstanding student, one of those kids that was full of spirit and always leading the kids in the stands and athletic events," said Bernie Koontz, a teacher at Manchester Valley H.S.   

Spence was involved in athletics.  He had committed to coach girls lacrosse in the spring.

"He was the type of young teacher that was going to go the extra mile and you could tell that he enjoyed what he was doing," said Dr. Dave Dolch, Athletic Director, Manchester Valley High School.    

Spence also ran a tutoring business, helping students understand algebra, trigonometry and AP statistics.  The toughest classes may never stack up to the announcement made about his death.

"Some of them might be dealing with it a little bit more tomorrow than they really did today.  Today might have been a little bit more shock," said Koontz.    

The school bus involved in the accident had five students on board.  No one was injured.  They attended Delone Catholic High School in Pennsylvania. 

Additional counselors are available for students and staff at Manchester Valley High.