Victim of fatal Highway 1 cliff crash was Sebastopol teacher

A Petaluma man who died after his car crashed off Highway 1 north of Jenner was a Sebastopol middle school history teacher known for his ability to inspire and his passion for teaching.

The body of Richard Kolodin, 53, was found Saturday morning in brush along a steep coastal bluff near Meyers Grade Road, CHP Officer Jon Sloat said. He’d crashed early Friday morning, apparently on his way up the coast to Gualala.

News of Kolodin’s death spread during the weekend to his school community and by Monday many dozen students, teachers, former students, parents and school officials gathered at Brook Haven School throughout the day for a chance to share their grief, said Debbie Hanks, school principal.

“He just had a magical way of inspiring students to care, an absolute passion for teaching,” Hanks said. “This is a tremendous loss. Brook Haven will never be the same.”

Kolodin was just finishing his 26th year in the Sebastopol Union School District. He’d initially taught at Park Side and Pine Crest elementary schools and since 2008 had taught world history and U.S. history at Brook Haven to seventh- and eighth graders.

On Monday, although school was out for the summer break, officials invited the school community to the campus. A growing memorial of flowers, photos, candles, notes and quotes grew outside of his classroom.

Hanks said “Mr. Kolodin” was the kind of teacher younger students looked forward to having when they got to the middle school. “To say he was a favorite teacher is an understatement,” she said.

Kolodin was known for sharing his brand of rock ‘n roll with all of his students and would start each class with a different artist, asking students to guess who it was, Hanks said.

The last day of school was Wednesday and Kolodin had been in charge of that afternoon’s eighth grade promotion ceremony.

He’d carried out rehearsals with his usual attention to detail, Hanks said, telling the 40 students they would practice until they got it right to assure a great memory for themselves, their parents and families.

Friday morning at about 1:30 a.m., Kolodin had left his Petaluma home, apparently headed north along the coast to Gualala.

Around 5:30 p.m., a CHP officer patrolling the coast spotted debris littering a bluff and stopped for a better look. Sloat said the officer swept over the area with binoculars, eventually spying a car, barely visible down the cliff.

The officer and state park rangers rappelled down about 400 feet to the wrecked vehicle. They found the windshield knocked out of an empty 1994 Acura. They searched until dark for the driver.

At about 6 a.m. Saturday the searchers returned. About five hours later, with help from the sheriff’s helicopter crew, a body was found, Sloat said.

It was about 200 feet from the vehicle, indicating Kolodin had been thrown from the car as it tumbled. Sloat said the man hadn’t been belted in, as officers noted the seat belt was found retracted.

The body was retrieved by a CHP officer strapped to the end of the helicopter’s longline and was carried to the highway above.

Sloat said Monday the cause of the crash wasn’t clear. An investigation is ongoing.

Hanks said school officials got word Friday night that Kolodin’s car had been found. That troubling news was followed Saturday with word his body had been found. The principal said she began to alert teachers and families.

One teacher held an open house at his home Sunday for students and teachers to gather, followed by Monday’s effort at the school. Hanks expected a celebration of the teacher’s life would be held at the school sometime this month.

Kolodin was married and had two daughters and a son, Hanks said. She believed two of his children were in high school and one was in college.

You can reach Staff Writer Randi Rossmann at 521-5412 or randi.rossmann@pressdemocrat.com or on Twitter@rossmannreport.

Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story misspelled the last name of Richard Kolodin, based on information provided by the California Highway Patrol. Also, the story included incorrect information about what time the driver departed his home and what time the California Highway Patrol spotted debris from his crash on the coastal hillside.