'Beloved' Elementary School Special Education Teacher Dies in Crash on Her Way to Work

Mar. 15, 2025

Turrill Elementary School.Photo:Google Maps

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A beloved special education teacher in Michigan died in a car crash earlier this week.

Roxann Johnson, 64, died after her car collided with a semi-truck in Lapeer County, Mich., on Tuesday, March 4, around 7:30 a.m. local time, according toMLiveandThe County Press.

Johnson was on her way to work at Turrill Elementary School when the crash occurred, according to the paper andMid-Michigan Now.Police said that the crash occurred when her 2015 Jeep Cherokee collided head-on with the truck that crossed the barrier from the southbound lane.

Metamora Township Police Dept. Chief Ryan Davis told the outlets that the incident was still under investigation and that the Lapeer County Prosecutor’s Office would determine whether to file charges against the teen driver.

The Metamora Township Police Department did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

In astatementreleased Tuesday from Lapeer Community Schools Superintendent Matt Wandrie wrote that Johnson was deeply involved in the local community.

“We are saddened to report the passing of Roxann Johnson, one of our beloved elementary special education teachers and a friend to so many in our school community,” he added.

“Roxann taught in Lapeer Community Schools for over 25 years and as a result has touched the lives of so many beyond the Turrill School Community,” he continued. “Please keep the family and those who worked closest with Roxann in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.”

Anobituaryfor Johnson states that she was a lifelong resident of Oxford, Mich., as well as a “beloved wife” to her husband, Darrell Patterson.

“She worked as an elementary school special education teacher since the age of 22,” the tribute read. “Her passion in life was her family, friends, and her joy in teaching those who needed special care to be their very best selves.”

Several local community members chimed in online to share their condolences with Johnson’s family, writing that the special education teacher was “an amazing friend, mentor, and person.”

“She would do anything for anyone; she even gave a student her shoes so the student would be able to go gym class,” one person wrote underneath her obituary. “Her laugh was contagious, I can still hear her. She was beautiful, inside and out.”

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According to her obituary, her funeral is slated for Tuesday, March 11.

source: people.com