Local running community mourns Beavercreek jogger’s death

Beavercreek mom was training for AF marathon

Staff photo Ty Greenlees Michelle Hale was struck and killed on Dayton-Xenia Road near Stedman Lane early on Monday, Aug. 24.

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By Ken McCall, Staff Writer Updated 10:36 PM Monday, August 24, 2009

BEAVERCREEK — The death of Michelle Hale, the 44-year-old runner who was hit by a vehicle and died during an early morning run Monday, Aug. 24, has sent tremors through the running community.

“The running community is a very close-knit group,” said Jim Gross, the Montgomery County Health Commissioner and an avid runner. “Whenever anything tragic like this happens, the entire fraternity of runners is affected, whether you know the runner or not.”

Hale, of Beavercreek, was jogging northbound across Dayton-Xenia Road from the bike trail to Stedman Lane at about 6:25 a.m. when she was hit by a westbound vehicle, Beavercreek Police said. She was transported to Miami Valley Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Beavercreek police have spoken to the Beavercreek man whose vehicle hit Hale, and they are asking anyone who witnessed the crash to contact police at (937) 426-1225.

No charges have been filed, and the crash remains under investigation.

Hale was a secretary in the deterrence and nuclear integration office of Air Force Materiel Command at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, according to a press release. She had been employed at the base for four months.

She also had a Web page revolving around the hobby of crafting at http://randomcrafting.blogspot.com.

On the page, she described herself as “a marathon running Wife, Mom, ‘Bella,’ craft lover and more!”

She also wrote about her husband, two daughters and a grandson, and said she was training for her third Air Force Marathon, to be held at Wright-Patterson next month.

Gross said his heart goes out to the victim’s family and friends. But he said the tragedy is also a time to emphasize how important it is for exercise enthusiasts “to take safety very seriously.”

“Anytime you are exercising, running or cycling, you need to do whatever you can so you are visible,” he said.

Jeff McPherson, president of the Ohio River Road Runners Club, said Hale had participated in a number of local races over the past year. He said her death will impact the running community.

“Obviously, it touches everybody, since we’re out there on the road so much,” he said.

Staff Writers Tom Beyerlein and Jeremy Kelley contributed to this report.

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