A young mother in Ohio was killed Thursday attempting to save her son from alleged thieves who were trying to steal her car while the child was inside, ABC6 reported.
Police said Alexa Stakely, 29, picked up her son from a babysitter’s at 1:27 am before placing the sleeping child in her running car and heading back to the sitter’s apartment to grab something she had forgotten, according to ABC6. When Stakely returned, she reportedly screamed as she saw alleged thieves backing her vehicle out of the driveway, ABC6 reported. (RELATED: Father Dies Saving Son Who Fell Through Ice, Deputy Saves Mother, Police Say)
Canal Winchester school district mourns loss of teacher killed after trying to save son from stolen vehicle https://t.co/1wmasuyLbG
— 10TV (@10TV) July 12, 2024
Police said that Stakely then tried to stop the thieves by jumping onto the hood of the car before she was thrown off and suffered a critical head injury, according to the outlet.
The suspected thieves fled the scene before police arrived and found the car with the sleeping child inside, ABC6 reported.
After Stakely was thrown from the car, two males were seen running past her body before jumping a fence and disappearing into a neighboring apartment complex, according to ABC6.
Stakely, who was known as a dedicated mother who worked two jobs to support her son, was rushed to a local hospital where she died from her injury, ABC6 reported.
Stakely, who had been a teacher at Winchester Elementary for five years, was remembered as a caring teacher who was dedicated to her students and son, ABC6 reported.
Local authorities have issued a reminder that parents should not leave children unattended in cars, according to the outlet.
“We always tell people, ‘Don’t leave your car running … don’t leave kids in your vehicle unattended,'” Columbus Police Sgt. Joe Albert said. “This one, I’m not gonna armchair quarterback a mother trying to protect her son. It’s just a tragic incident all around.”
Police have asked that anybody with information or video related to the incident contact them, ABC6 reported.
