ROOSEVELT — Grief counselors from Northeastern Counseling Center spent Thursday with students at Tabiona School following the loss of a popular elementary school teacher and high school baseball coach.

The majority of the school's 161 students and all of the faculty members knew Doug Nielsen, 42. Principal Robert Park said almost all the students had gotten word of Nielsen's death in a traffic accident on Highway 40 near Jordanelle Reservoir before coming to school Thursday. The school and small Duchesne County community are tight-knit and the students all attend classes in the same building.

According to Utah Highway Patrol reports, Nielsen was changing a flat tire on his car along the westbound shoulder of the road about 7:15 p.m. Wednesday when the driver of a van lost control of his vehicle and slid out of control, striking Nielsen and killing him instantly.

Nielsen's wife, Tania, was in the car at the time of the impact. She suffered minor injuries and was taken to Heber Valley Medical Center and later released.

The couple, who both work at Tabiona School, were on their way to a Utah Jazz game. They did not have their children with them.

The UHP is not releasing the name of the van driver. The Wasatch County Attorney's Office will not know until midweek whether charges will be filed, according to an office secretary. Early UHP reports indicated the driver was traveling too fast for the winterlike conditions.

Park said that Nielsen was a fifth-grade teacher but also taught science to fourth- and sixth-graders. In the fall he was the assistant boys baseball coach. He moved to Pleasant Valley from the Roosevelt area three years ago to teach at the remote school in the rural farming and ranching community.

On Thursday morning the parents of some students called the school to let them know their children were staying home, and other students were dismissed during the school day, said Park.

"It was just a day of remembrance and trying to strengthen each other and just get over the shock," said Park. "He really loved teaching at Tabiona and loved the kids here with all his heart. He ran the district science fair — he had it all ready to go again this year; it is supposed to be here at Tabiona this month."

Tania Nielsen taught music and was the art specialist at Tabiona School.

The couple married two years ago and combined their families. She had one child and he had three living at the family home and a son who left on a mission in January.

"I heard him talk about it and he said that moving up here was the best thing he'd ever done," said Shay Price, a fellow teacher who coached the baseball team with Nielsen. "I know they were happy."

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Contributing: Geoff Liesik

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