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Former SHS assistant principal hit by truck, dies

Spurgin was riding his bike across Hickory Grove Road

Thomas B. Spurgin — who retired from the school district as small schools principal in 2009 — was killed when the bicycle he was riding was hit by a truck along the bike trail at Hickory Grove Road in Champaign County early Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2010.

Staff photo by Marshall Gorby Thomas B. Spurgin — who retired from the school district as small schools principal in 2009 — was killed when the bicycle he was riding was hit by a truck along the bike trail at Hickory Grove Road in Champaign County early Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2010.

Map of Ohio bike trails where a man was killed when the bicycle he was riding was hit by a truck in Champaign County early Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2010.

ENLARGE PHOTO

Tom Spurgin (right), the former Principal of the School of Humanities, lead students and their families on a tour of the new Springfield High School on Tuesday, August 19, 2008. Spurgin died Tuesday, Sept. 1, when the bicycle he was riding was struck by a pick-up truck on the Simon Kenton bike path between Springfield and Urbana.

Barbara Perenic Tom Spurgin (right), the former Principal of the School of Humanities, lead students and their families on a tour of the new Springfield High School on Tuesday, August 19, 2008. Spurgin died Tuesday, Sept. 1, when the bicycle he was riding was struck by a pick-up truck on the Simon Kenton bike path between Springfield and Urbana.

ENLARGE PHOTO

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By Valerie Lough, Megan Gildow and Josh Sweigart
Staff writers Updated 7:37 AM Thursday, September 2, 2010

URBANA TWP. — A former Springfield High School administrator who died after being hit by a truck while riding his bike on a Champaign County bike trail Wednesday, Sept. 1, was remembered as a tenacious educator.

Thomas B. Spurgin — who retired from the school district as small schools principal in 2009 — died at Miami Valley Hospital.

Mr. Spurgin, 58, was riding his bike north on the bike trail at Hickory Grove Road around 7:30 a.m. when he was struck, said Champaign County Sheriff Brent Emmons.

Anthony Essex, 24, of Columbus was driving a Dodge Ram 2500 westbound on Hickory Grove Road when it struck the bike, Emmons said.

A search of Essex’s name in Clark, Champaign and Franklin county municipal courts returned only three traffic violations, all related to seat belts, window tint and vehicle tags.

Emmons said charges against Essex are pending an investigation of the circumstances of the crash, and it doesn’t appear drugs or alcohol were a factor. There is an underpass in the area that can block visibility of cyclists coming down the bike path, though the view of the crossing is clear, Emmons said.

The intersection has a stop sign for cyclists, and motor vehicles have the right-of-way at the intersection, Emmons said.

“The accident occurred in the roadway,” Emmons said. “Whether or not he (Spurgin) stopped at the sign then proceeded in, or didn’t stop at all, are still questions to be answered.”

Emmons said this is the first accident this year where he recalls a vehicle striking a bicycle on the path, and the only bicycle fatality anywhere in the county this year.

Mr. Spurgin worked in education for 35 years, first as an English teacher then as an administrator.

He was unique in education because he worked at North and South high schools, the district’s alternative school, Keifer Academy, and in career tech education at the Springfield-Clark Career Tech Center, said Springfield High School Assistant Principal Kathy Lee.

“He went out of his way to really help any kid,” said Lee. “It did not matter what their situation was. Even if a student made a mistake, he wouldn’t give up on them.”

Dedicated to working with youths, he also coached sports, taught Sunday school at Northminster United Presbyterian Church and taught traffic school for the Clark County Safety Council.

Mr. Spurgin is survived by his wife of 35 years, retired Springfield City Schools teacher Kathryn Spurgin. The couple have three children.

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