Portage man charged in 6-vehicle crash that killed Chesterton Middle School teacher last November

PORTAGE, Ind. (WLS) -- A Portage, Indiana man has been charged in a crash that killed a teacher last November, police said Friday.

Arthur Schmidt, 42, of Portage has been charged with reckless homicide and criminal reckless when defendant commits aggressive driving resulting in death.

The video in this story is from a previous report

The six-vehicle crash on November 8, 2022 at intersection of Willowcreek Road and Lute Road killed 24-year-old Lauren Thompson of Valparaiso. Thompson was a teacher at Chesterton Middle School.

Chesterton Middle School teacher killed in Portage 6-vehicle crash

"Lauren was a shining star on the CMS faculty and was loved by her students and fellow staff members," Principal Mike Hamacher said after the crash. "This is a great loss to our students, faculty, and staff members."

Thompson taught English at the school and graduated from Purdue University Northwest in 2020, according to her staff bio on the school's website.