The school district mourns the loss of the wrestling coach killed in an accident

Courtesy of Sandra Wilkins

STROUDSBURG, MONROE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) – A local school district is in mourning after a tragedy involving its athletic director.

Stroudsburg High School coach Sean Richmond died this weekend when he was struck by a tractor-trailer.

28/22 News reporter Iyee Jayne caught up with a student he was close to and said Coach Richmond was an inspiration to him and an overall good person.

Karis Wilkins is stunned to learn that Couch Richmond was killed.

Wilkins, who wrestled on the Richmond-coached team, learned of the accident Sunday morning.

“As soon as I heard it, my stepfather came down the stairs. I was making tea and he said, “I’m pretty sure your coach just died,” and I didn’t believe it at first because my friend posted something on his story and then I had to look up an article from that news channel and I saw that he had died. I was just in disbelief and shock,” Wilkins said.

Richmond was on his way to Stroudsburg High School’s prom at Kalahari Resort on Saturday around 6 p.m.

For unknown reasons, he was walking on Interstate 380 North at mile marker 1.4 when a tractor-trailer struck him, according to state police.

Richmond was taken to a hospital where he died.

“I’m still a little shaken up about the whole thing and wondering what’s going to happen when we just get out of school tomorrow and I’m still trying to process the whole thing,” Wilkins added.

Wilkins says he wouldn’t wrestle without Coach Richmond.

“I personally don’t really like wrestling and he kind of got me to drag myself into his office again and got my motivation back,” Wilkins explained.

Wilkins says he will forever cherish the memories he made with his coach.

“If I had to pick a favorite memory, it was when he kind of took me aside one day and told me, ‘You’re going to play varsity wrestling,’ and I was really happy about that and really saw it. “He was my coach and he was just a great person,” Wilkins said.

According to state police, the investigation into how the fatal pedestrian accident occurred is still ongoing.

The autopsy in Richmond is scheduled for Monday morning.