COLUMBUS, Ohio — A retired softball coach who was also a contractor for Westerville City Schools died in an accident while doing work on a school softball field, Genoa Township officials confirmed Thursday.
A spokesperson for the district confirmed that the person who died was Jerry Kelbley. The accident happened at Westerville Central High School’s softball field, which is across the street from the high school and next to Alcott Elementary School.
The spokesperson said Kelbley had a medical emergency while doing work on the field but did not clarify what happened.
Genoa Township police said crews were dragging the field just before 2:15 p.m. when the accident occurred.
Kelbley was a longtime softball coach at Westerville South High School. Following his retirement in 2017, the school dedicated its softball field, now known as the “Kelbley Field,” to him.
He was a coach at Westerville South from 1982 to 2017.
After the incident on Thursday, Central High School Principal Dawn Sayre sent a letter to parents on Thursday saying in part, “A contractor for Westerville City Schools had a medical emergency while doing work on the softball fields today. Unfortunately, this person has passed away. While we all deal with this loss, please know that if your student shares that they saw emergency vehicles or paramedics at the school today, this was the reason.”
Alcott Elementary School Principal Earl Rahm also sent a letter to parents sharing the news and offering ways for parents to have a conversation with their children about the incident.