(LibertySociety.com) – A mother in Canal Winchester, Ohio, died from her injuries after jumping in front of her own vehicle as it was being stolen in an effort to save her son from the thief, who ran her over and fled.
On Thursday, July 11, 29-year-old Alexa Stakely arrived at 6300 Blue Knoll Drive around 1:30 AM to pick up her 6-year-old son from a babysitter. The mother placed the child in his car seat and returned to the babysitter’s condo quickly to retrieve some belongings. When she came back outside, Stakely saw an unidentified man in the driver’s seat.
As the stranger tried to drive away with the 2022 Honda SUV, Stakely jumped onto the hood of the vehicle in an attempt to stop the carjacker from driving away with her son. The thief floored the gas, which threw Stakely off the car and onto the pavement on which she struck her head.
The head injury proved to be fatal. Stakely died from her injuries later that same day.
Law enforcement commenced a manhunt for two suspects. They discovered the car abandoned on the side of the road, where the suspects fled on foot and jumped over a nearby fence into an apartment complex. Surveillance video indicates the two men were working with a larger group. The child was found near the vehicle and appeared unharmed, although visibly shaken by the experience.
Stakely studied at Ohio State University and worked at a local elementary school as a speech-language therapist. The single mom also worked part-time as a waitress to help provide for her son. School officials remembered her as a “great mom” who “made a difference” in many students’ and families’ lives.
Police are still tracking down the suspects and have asked anyone with more information or video footage to come forward and help them catch them.
Kids and Car Safety, an advocacy group that focuses on such incidents, said at least 56 similar occurrences happened in 2024 alone involving a stolen vehicle with a child inside.
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