Mom struck, killed while trying to save her 6-year-old from stolen car

A single mom was struck and killed by her own car while trying to save her 6-year-old son when her car was stolen with him inside, according to authorities and officials in Ohio.

Alexa Stakely, 29, worked for a school district as a speech and language pathologist and had a second job as a waitress, the Columbus Police Department said.

Just before 1:30 a.m. Thursday, after her waitress shift ended, Stakely went to pick up her 6-year-old from the babysitter's house, police said.

Stakely put her sleeping child in her 2022 Honda SUV, which was parked outside the babysitter's home, and then started the car, police said.

"She then realized she needed an item from the babysitter who she met just inside the front door," police said in a statement. "As she returned to her vehicle it began to back out into the roadway. Stakely was seen running toward her Honda when she was struck and thrown onto the pavement."

Stakely died from her injuries several hours later, police said.

Stakely's Honda was "abandoned a short distance away" and the 6-year-old was found uninjured inside the car, police said.

"She died heroically while trying to save her 6-year-old son," said a statement from Canal Winchester Schools, where Stakely was a speech and language therapist for a preschool program.

"Alexa was passionate about children and speech-language therapy. She was smart and compassionate, and she cared so much about helping children," the district said.

"She was a great mom who was incredibly dedicated," the district added.

No arrests have been made.

After Stakely was struck, two men were seen running past her as she lay hurt in the road, police said. They matched the descriptions of two of the men who were in a group of people looking into apartments earlier in the night, police said.

Authorities urge anyone with information to call the police department at 614-645-2558 or Central Ohio Crime Stoppers at 614-461-8477.