An employee of West Penn Township was killed Wednesday afternoon while cutting grass.

Tina Hoppes, 54, of New Ringgold, was cutting grass along a stream near the township community park on Zions Stone Church Road.A passing resident found Hoppes' body and the tractor submerged in the small stream that ran through the West Penn community park.It appeared that while she was mowing the grass on the edge of the steam the ground gave way, causing Hoppes and the tractor to fall into the stream, according to West Penn Township Police.The riding lawn mower rolled down the bank, pinning her under the water.Hoppes was pronounced dead at the scene at 1:40 p.m. by deputy coroner David Truskowsky.The incident remains under investigation.Hoppes was the wife of the late Darren S. Hoppes, to whom she was married for 29 years upon his death on Oct. 2, 2015.She was a longtime employee of the township, taking great pride in maintaining the township community park.Her obituary appears on Page 4.