Westerfield died from complications due to a high-impact car wreck he was in Saturday night on Shelby-Deeson Road.
Westerfield was driving a 2008 Ford Focus and the other driver, Andrew Davis of Shelby, was in a Chevy pick up.
Westerfield was still inside his vehicle, according to Bolivar County Sheriff’s Deputy James Winston, who arrived before emergency workers.
“He was alert,” Winston said of Westerfield.
The wreck is still under investigation since the positioning of both vehicles didn’t satisfy what happened. The Mississippi Highway Patrol will reconstruct the wreck to try and determine exactly that.
Davis was transported to the Bolivar Medical Center emergency room, where he was released the next morning.
Westerfield was airlifted from the actual wreck to The Med in Memphis, Tenn.
During his life, Westerfield attended Bayou Academy sporting events come rain or shine, in town or out of town.
His spirit of competitiveness and encouragement was felt both on and off the field.
“He was really unbelievable, he was a super fan,” said Rodney Martin, head baseball coach at Bayou Academy. “When I first got there I didn’t know him. Then here comes this tall gentleman... no matter where we were, he was there too. We could be three hours away on a regular night, a regular game, he was there.
“It was impressive,” he added. “He would show up every time. A couple of years ago, we gave him an honorary ball after the state championship. He was that important to us. We will miss seeing him at our games. It will be weird not having him there with us, cheering us on.”
Headmaster Robert Foust said he has been a part of academy sports for 35 years, but has never seen a fan as a loyal as Westerfield.
“It didn’t matter what sport we played or what the weather was, he was always there,” Foust said. “Several times games had been rescheduled and he would still show up, even though I don’t know how he knew.
“Boys games, girls games, it didn’t matter. If we were playing, he was there, he added. “He was an unusual fan because he never put his two cents in. He was just a fan. He was a great asset to our school. He will be missed, especially by those kids. I know a lot of the players will go to his funeral in honor of his loyalty.”
Funeral arrangements are pending with Ray Funeral Home of Cleveland.