‘Devoted’ history teacher hit and killed by rolling school bus, Alabama deputies say
A school community is mourning a beloved teacher killed in an on-campus bus accident, authorities in Alabama say.
Those who knew Mark Ridgeway, 58, best said he was a “selfless and devoted person” with a passion for serving others. The 10th grade history teacher died Wednesday, Jan. 25, when an unoccupied school bus rolled and hit him, according to Jefferson County sheriff’s deputies.
The accident happened at about 6:30 a.m. at Mortimer Jordan High School in Kimberly, where Ridgeway was also a bus driver, deputies said.
“According to early investigative reports, the employee was performing standard checks of the bus before beginning the morning route,” according to the sheriff’s office. “The unoccupied bus began to roll and struck the employee.”
Ridgeway died at the scene, deputies said. No one else was injured.
Classes were canceled for the day after reports of the accident, WIAT reported.
Family, friends and colleagues mourned the longtime teacher on social media, calling his death a “tremendous loss.” He worked for Jefferson County Schools for 20-plus years alongside his wife Connie, who’s also a teacher at Mortimer Jordan High, according to district officials.
“The number of lives he touched on a daily basis is immeasurable and he will be deeply missed,” Principal Craig Kanaday wrote in a statement posted on the school’s Facebook page. “As a personal colleague of mine for more than 25 years, Mark leaves behind cherished memories but also a great void among all circles of his life.”
Ridgeway is also remembered as a man of faith who was a pastor at a church for 17 years.
“Pastor Mark married my husband and I,” one person wrote in a tribute on Facebook. “He was there for each of my 3 kids births ... There are not enough adjectives to describe how highly I think of Pastor Mark Ridgeway. He will surely be missed!! He and his family helped to change my life and I will forever hold them dear to my heart.”
School officials said classes will resume Jan. 26 with grief counselors and pastors on hand to assist students and staff.
Kimberly is about 20 miles north of Birmingham.
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