West Virginia Teacher Dies After Being Struck by Vehicle in School Parking Lot: 'Profound Tragedy'
Veteran educator Ryan Lantz was struck by the vehicle outside Liberty High School in Clarksburg on Tuesday morning, per local reports
Chelsea Holyfield/GoFundMe
Ryan LantzRyan Lantz, a high school teacher and coach from West Virginia, died after he was struck by a vehicle in the parking lot of Liberty High School on Tuesday
The person who hit the teacher is believed to have been blinded by sunlight
Lantz was a graduate of the high school where he was working as a journalism teacher at the time of his death
A high school teacher and coach from West Virginia died after he was hit by a vehicle in the school’s parking lot Tuesday morning.
The staff member — identified by family as as Ryan Lantz — was struck outside Liberty High School in Clarksburg around 7:30 a.m. local time, according to ABC and NBC affiliate WBOY-TV and MetroNews.
The person who hit the teacher said they were been blinded by sunlight at the time of the crash, WVNews.com reported.
The victim was transported to the hospital, where he later died.
Nearly $7,000 has been raised through a GoFundMe campaign created by Lantz's family.
“He was a great dad, husband, pawpaw, son, brother, uncle, coach, pastor, teacher, and follower of Christ,” his niece Chelsea Holyfield wrote in the description of the online fundraiser.
Harrison County School District confirmed the death of the “respected” teacher in a statement shared on Facebook.
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“The loss of the beloved teacher is a profound tragedy for our school community,” district officials added. “Our thoughts are with the families involved during this difficult time.”
Lanz graduated from Liberty High School himself, according to WVNews.com. He was a two-sport athlete when he attended the school, and went on to become a coach later in life.
The late educator spent 10 years teaching at the school, where he was working as a journalism teacher at the time of his death, per the outlets. He served as the boy’s varsity basketball coach for four years before stepping down in 2021, and later became the freshman coach and varsity assistant at Robert C. Byrd High School.
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Lantz also worked at a church camp during his summers. “He will be missed by so many that had the pleasure of knowing him, or got to hear him play guitar or his sermon around the campfire at Church Camp,” Holyfield wrote on GoFundMe.
Tuesday’s crash, though “tragic,” appears to be “accidental,” Harrison County Sheriff Robert Matheny said, per MetroNews. An investigation into the incident is ongoing.
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