EATON TWP. — Lorain County Sheriff’s deputies are investigating whether an all-terrain vehicle malfunctioned, throwing long-time Domestic Relations Court employee Dennis Ralich to his death on Wednesday, according to Capt. James Reiber.

Ralich, 53, was pronounced dead at about 6:30 p.m. after being thrown from the ATV while riding on a path near a soybean field by his home on Durkee Road.

Ralich’s 20-year-old son, Steven, found the Honda ATV overturned on the path. A short time later, Reiber said Steven Ralich found his father in the rows of soybeans.

“It’s a tragedy — an unfortunate accident,” Reiber said.

County Coroner Paul Matus did not issue a ruling Thursday on the cause of death. The investigation was continuing, but foul play is not suspected, he said.

“There was some damage to the ATV from overturning, and there may have been some other issues with the machine,” Matus said.

While the ATV is being analyzed for possible mechanical failure, it also is possible that Ralich could have been thrown from the vehicle after an encounter with a deer or other wildlife, the coroner said.

“Did a deer run in front of him?” Matus asked. “We have reports from the neighbors that deer frequently run through that field — they’re in there all of the time.”

The terrain was level where the crash occurred, and excessive speed is not believed to have been a contributing factor, according to Matus.

“He was a very skilled driver — and by all reports — a very responsible driver,” Matus said.

Medical professionals from a LifeFlight helicopter worked on Ralich for about an hour but were unable to revive him, Matus said.

There is no estimate of his time of death, but it is likely that Ralich died almost instantly of multiple injuries, the coroner said.

Sheriff’s Sgt. Randy Koubeck is conducting the investigation that will be forwarded to state safety officials, according to Reiber.

Ralich, an assignment commissioner at Domestic Relations Court, is survived by his wife, Holly, son, Steven, and 23-year-old daughter, Carla.

The mention of his name brought tears to the eyes of court employees, who remembered a dedicated, humorous employee with a deep, resonant voice and a shock of thick brown hair.

“He was one of the main reasons I loved coming to work,” said Barbara Pavelschak, another assignment commissioner who worked alongside Ralich for many years.

Attorney James Gemelas, a former magistrate, also said he considered Ralich a good friend.

“Dennis had a great sense of humor — he was a lot of fun and a lot of fun to work with,” Gemelas said. “He kept the mood light — we had a lot of people at their worst when they showed up to court, and Dennis treated them with respect — he had a huge heart.”

Gemelas said Ralich, who had worked for the court about 30 years, was counting down the days to his retirement in about 16 months and was looking forward to spending more time with his family.

“There was an unconditional love about him,” Gemelas said.

Magistrate Renee Zafarana said that Ralich “tried to put the people at ease when he would check them in — he loved the little kids when they came up to the window and would go out of his way to joke with them.”

Before becoming an assignment commissioner, Ralich worked in the child support area at a time when court employees “would go out and chase down the nonpayers,” Zafarana said.

The news of his death moved quickly through the county Wednesday night in text messages and other communications, and many people at court knew what had happened when they arrived for work, according to court officials.

The mood was somber Thursday as Ralich’s familiar post was filled by another employee.

“It’s a tragedy and a loss for us to lose a long-standing, well-liked employee,” said Court Administrator Doug Messer.

Contact Cindy Leise at 329-7245 or cleise@chroniclet.com.

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