An Ohio teacher died saving her son’s life after a carjacker tried to steal the car the six-year-old was sleeping in.
Alexa Stakely, 29, a speech-language pathologist, threw herself onto the hood of the vehicle as the thief sped away before falling off leaving her with fatal injuries.
Police said the mother had loaded her sleeping boy into her Honda CR-V but ran back to the babysitter’s apartment to pick something up.
That’s when the carjacker jumped into her car, which was turned on, and drove away, reports WSYX. Stakely chased after the suspect and tried to stop him before throwing herself onto the car.
The suspect fled on foot from the scene and has yet to be taken into custody.
An Ohio teacher died saving her son’s life after an armed carjacker tried to steal the car the six-year-old was sleeping in.
When police arrived, they found the parked vehicle with the child still sleeping inside the vehicle.
Columbus Division of Police officers responded to the White Oak Park Condominiums north of Canal Winchester in southeast Columbus at around 1:30 a.m. Thursday.
When officers arrived, they found Stakely was critically injured. She transported her to Mount Carmel East Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Canal Winchester Schools posted a heartfelt tribute on Facebook to Stakely, a dedicated speech-language therapist who worked with the preschoolers at Winchester Trail Elementary.
‘Ms. Alexa’ as she was called by her students, had been with the district for five years.
‘Ms. Stakely’s family shared that she died heroically while trying to save her 6-year-old son during a carjacking. Thankfully, her son was not injured and is now with family. Please keep Alexa’s son, family, and friends in your prayers during this difficult time,’ the district wrote in the Facebook post.
Alexa Stakely, 29, speech-language pathologis, was picking up her 6-year-old son from a babysitter’s apartment after getting off shift for her second job
‘Alexa was passionate about children and speech-language therapy,’ the post read. ‘She was smart and compassionate, and she cared so much about helping children develop their ability to communicate. She was a great mom who was incredibly dedicated to her son. Ms. Stakely made a difference in the lives of the students and families she worked with and will be missed by so many in our community and beyond.’
An outpouring of emotion filled the comments section of the post, as parents recounted the ways Stakely had made a difference in their children’s lives.
‘She poured into all three of my younger boys and is a huge reason for my youngest two having such clear speech today. She will be deeply missed,’ one mom wrote in a comment.
‘This is absolutely devastating and heartbreaking,’ one mom said. ‘My son adored her the last 2 years, seeing her almost everyday at school. She was an amazing speech-pathologist and person and helped my son so much. Sending prayers upon prayers for her son and family.’
Police urge anyone with information or surveillance footage to come forward as they continue to track down the suspect.