Teacher who ‘loved her students fiercely’ dies in head-on crash, Georgia district says
A community is mourning the loss of a beloved teacher killed in a car crash in southeast Georgia this week.
Julie Sikes died Monday, March 14, when a Chevy Blazer she was driving sideswiped a tractor trailer before hitting another car head-on along Georgia State Route 23 in Tattnall County, according to Georgia State Patrol. The driver of the other vehicle, Ashley Hartmeyer, was also killed in the wreck.
No other injuries were reported.
Evans County Charter School System officials confirmed news of Sikes’ death in a statement on March 15. District Superintendent Dr. Martin Waters remembered her as a “beloved” teacher and instructional coach who cared for her students at Claxton High School.
“With a heavy heart, the Evans County Charter School System announces the passing of Julie Sikes,” Waters wrote in a statement posted on the school district’s website. “Ms. Sikes had a profound impact on everyone she met and loved her students fiercely.”
The crash occurred just before 5:30 p.m. on March 14, troopers said in a news release. Sikes was traveling southbound on GA 23 when, for unknown reasons, she crossed the center line into the northbound lanes, striking both the tractor trailer and a Toyota Highlander driven by Hartmeyer.
Hartmeyer, who worked as a counselor at Long State Prison, was “the happiest when she could spend time with her family and friends,” according to an online obituary. She’s survived by her two sons, her parents and other relatives.
Family and friends took to Facebook to remember the Savannah native, who they described as a “public servant” and a “stern but caring counselor.”
Braving the rain, students and staff also gathered for a vigil Tuesday, March 15, to remember Sikes, WTOC reported. Lena Mincey recalled how Sikes “took me in as one of her own” when she arrived as a new student.
“Ms. Sikes will definitely be remembered for how she cared about her students,” Mincey told the news station. “I don’t think any other teacher could come close to the effect she had on us and the love she had for us.”
The district announced that Claxton High School would close early Thursday, March 17, to allow students and staff to attend a memorial service for the late teacher.
State troopers said the crash remains under investigation.
Tattnall County is about 70 miles west of downtown Savannah.
This story was originally published March 16, 2022 at 1:09 PM with the headline "Teacher who ‘loved her students fiercely’ dies in head-on crash, Georgia district says."