By Tom Hardesty
The Summiteer

The Stow-Munroe Falls community is mourning the loss of SMF High School educator Jimmy Mashburn, 32, who was killed in a two-vehicle crash on I-77 in Green early on the morning of Jan. 21.

According to reports, Mashburn was driving his pickup truck northbound on I-77 when his vehicle struck the rear of a disabled semi-truck in the right lane shortly after midnight. Mashburn was pronounced dead at the scene at 12:30 a.m., according to the Summit County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Mashburn was an intervention specialist at Stow-Munroe Falls High School. He also served as an assistant football coach at Green High School the past five years after previously serving as an assistant football coach at SMF. 

Mashburn was a graduate of Coventry High School and the University of Akron, earning his bachelor’s degree in education in 2018. SMF Schools released a statement Jan. 22 stating that Mashburn “was a dedicated intervention specialist.” 

“Jimmy was a cherished member of the Bulldog Community and also a beloved football coach for Green Local Schools,” Amanda Murray, principal of Stow-Munroe Falls High School, said in the press release. “His passion for mentoring students went far beyond the classroom, leaving a lasting impact on students, players, colleagues and all who knew him.” 

The Stow-Munroe Falls City School District Crisis Response Team will have trained counselors available for all Stow-Munroe Falls High School students and staff for the remainder of the week and will continue as needed. Additionally, information about counseling services in Summit County has been posted on the Stow-Munroe Falls City Schools website. 

The school district encourages anyone needing immediate support to utilize the 988 Crisis Lifeline, which is available 24/7. 

“Our thoughts, prayers and deepest sympathies are with the Mashburn family, his friends, students, colleagues, players past and present, and everyone in the Bulldog and Green Local Schools communities,” Dr. Felisha Gould, superintendent of Stow-Munroe Falls City Schools, said. “Together, we will navigate this loss with the strength and compassion that defines our community.” 

The Summit County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the crash.