A Burke County elementary school worker has died following an early Thursday morning
crash.
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Forty-year-old Shalonda Free-Gardner was a para-educator at Blakeney Elementary School.
Her death was confirmed in accident reports from the Burke County Sheriff’s Office.
The crash occurred at Georgia Highway 24 and Stripp Lane around 7:42 a.m.
The sheriff’s office responded to the accident along with Georgia State Patrol troopers and rescue crews.
GSP said Free-Gardner was driving west on State Route 24 in a black Honda when a green Saturn crashed into the back of her vehicle.
The force caused her car to go into the opposite lane and she was hit again by an SUV.
The drivers of all three vehicles involved in the crash were taken to Burke Medical Hospital but Free-Gardner died shortly after the accident.
The names of the injured people were not released in accident reports.
The Georgia State Patrol specialized collision reconstruction team visited the scene. As they worked, the road at Highway 24 and Thompson Bridge Road was shut down.
The Burke County Sheriff’s Office sent condolences to the wider community and the school system.
Meanwhile, a statement from the school district said Free-Gardner’s death had left the Burke County School community saddened.
It said Free-Gardner cared deeply about the success and well-being of each student.
As more details about the crash emerge, Free-Gardner’s family may opt to file a wrongful death claim with help from a car accident lawyer. Other injured people may also have the right to file a civil claim.
Disclaimer: The Safety Watch article you just read includes information obtained from numerous sources. These sources include, but are not limited to, websites and press releases from law enforcement, the county coroner, fire departments, and other news outlets. While we strive to provide readers with the most accurate information, sometimes the information received is not entirely accurate. For complete details, please refer to an official police report.
The articles published contain sensitive subject matter that may be hard to read by some. We understand that losing a loved one is hard and devastating. Safety Watch’s decision to share the stories is to help others who may be facing the same situations by providing appropriate resources to the general public.