Recently, an Ohio mother who leaped in front of her own car trying to save her sleeping 6-year-old son from carjackers died after sustaining injuries to the head on Thursday. Twenty-nine-year-old Alexa Stakely was struck by the vehicle, which sent her flying across the pavement after trying to stop a carjacker from driving off with her car.
Reportedly, Stakely, who worked as a speech-language therapist at a local elementary school in the Canal Winchester Local School district, was picking her son up from his babysitter’s condo, when she placed him in a car seat and went back inside to retrieve other belongings. However, when she returned, there was a stranger in the seat of her 2022 Honda SUV. When she tried to prevent the theft and save her son, the suspect stepped on the gas, knocking her onto the pavement, where she hit her head.
According to police, there are two male suspects who are wanted in connection to the case, where the stolen vehicle was later dumped before they ran away to a neighboring apartment complex. Fortunately, the child was found safe and unharmed inside the car.
The district published a statement on the tragic news, reading, “We are deeply saddened to share that a member of our CW Family, Speech-Language Pathologist Alexa (Gough) Stakely, passed away this morning from injuries she sustained in a tragic incident late last night. “Ms. Alexa,” as her students knew her, was a dedicated Speech-Language Therapist in our preschool program at Winchester Trail Elementary and had been with our district for five years.”
The statement continued, highlighting the heroic action of the mother: “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 family has asked us to share this information with her community, and we’ll be providing updates as we receive them,” the message said.
“Alexa was passionate about children and speech-language therapy. 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,” the statement added.
The message concluded, “This is incredibly difficult news to process as an adult, and may be even more difficult for children, especially those who worked with or knew Ms. Alexa. Our partners at Nationwide Children’s Hospital shared resources with us that may be helpful to families when talking with their children … As we process this heartbreaking news, we encourage families to utilize the resources provided to support each other. Please take care of yourselves and your loved ones during this challenging time. Thank you for your understanding and support as we navigate through this difficult period together.”
SOURCE: theamericantribune.com