The man killed in the Washington County tornado Friday protected his fiancé until the end. Jack Coleman was a friend of Ronnie Hill who spoke to his fiancé, Tonya Orberson, after the tornado. He said he’s not surprised by Hill’s sacrifice.
“That was who Ron was. It hit so fast. They got into the laundry room, and he got on top of her. He said, ‘Just don't let go.’ She said, within a minute, they were blown out of the house, into the backyard, and he kept saying, ‘Hang on, don't let go.’
Coleman is the father of Lieutenant Governor Jacqueline Coleman and a former state legislator. He met Hill when he hired him as a contractor for All Together Recovery, a residential addiction treatment center in Danville. Coleman said Hill was in recovery himself and was a great worker -- and more.
“Around the recovery center, he was also a mentor to some of these guys going through recovery, and, you know, to show them that, ‘Hey, listen, you know, there's hope. You know you can do that. You can do this too.’ And so he was constantly working with the guys.”
Orberson was taken to UK Chandler Hospital. Coleman said Hill was a great guy with a great story.
