An Ohio single mother was killed after trying to rescue her six-year-old son from a carjacker. Alexa Stakely, 29, worked as a speech language pathologist at an elementary school and as a waitress. She was picking up her 6-year-old son from the babysitter’s around 1:30 am after a work shift. The child was asleep, so she buckled him up and started the car when she realized she had forgotten something. She went back to get it from the babysitter’s house and when she returned to her car, she found someone in the driver’s seat trying to drive away, her son still in the back. According to authorities, Stakely attempted to stop the car by jumping on the hood. The car accelerated, knocking Stakely to the ground. She hit her head hard on the pavement and later died from her injuries. Her son was found in the abandoned car, uninjured up the road from where Stakely was thrown. Two men were seen hopping out of the car and jumping over a fence.

The Columbus Police Department reported the incident on its Facebook page. It stated that Stakely was pronounced dead at 8:43am from her head injury. Stakely’s stepbrother, Hayden Swartz, shared with The New York Post the kind of person she was. “She’s always been a very special person to me and was always extremely wise and a very bright kid,” he said. “She didn’t grow up under the best circumstances family-wise, but always made the most of every situation and had a very glass-half-full view of everything. She crushed every goal she made for herself.” He said the family has received a lot of support from the community. “We’ve had a lot of people reach out who knew her, whether they taught her kids or worked with her, everybody says the same thing, that her personality was so bubbly and that she had a positive impact on everyone.”

Stakely had worked at Winchester Trail Elementary School for five years. The Canal Winchester Local Schools District described Stakely as “a great mom” and that she was, “incredibly dedicated to her son.” The District added, “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. 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 Columbus Police Department is asking for information on the two men seen running from the car. They still remain at large.