A Florida teacher was killed in the parking lot of her school. How the community reacted
A Florida tennis coach and physical education teacher was honored Saturday, a day after she died in a tragic accident on the school grounds where she worked.
Ciara McKeon, who had been employed at Anclote High School in Holiday for two years, was hit by an SUV in the parking lot Thursday morning. A memorial garden was planted in her honor by her family, friends, coworkers and students in a garden by the school’s main sign.
According to Pasco County Fire Rescue, McKeon was first thought to be a pedestrian, not a school worker. The case was listed as a “trauma alert.” The post was later updated to notify followers that the person hit was a teacher.
It is with a very heavy heart that we announce the passing of Coach McKeon. We are heartbroken, but grateful for the impact that she had on all of our lives. Please keep the McKeon family and Anclote community in your thoughts and prayers. pic.twitter.com/2Kd7wM73vm
— AHS Sharks (@AncloteSharks) February 11, 2022
The 28-year-old was initially trapped under the car until being freed and taken to the hospital in critical condition.
The driver, a 24-year-old Clearwater man who has not been identified, reportedly did not see McKeon before hitting her just before 7 a.m. The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating.
Update: Preliminary information is advising that this was a teacher at the school. The patient is listed as a trauma alert with critical injuries. #PCFRNews https://t.co/nYdZgMwen0
— Pasco Fire Rescue (@PascoFireRescue) February 10, 2022
Anclote High provided grief counseling and Principal Vanessa Moon sent a message to shocked families: “Let’s remember her positive outlook and her smiling face, and appreciate the huge impact she has had on our students — and on all of us. She was an integral part of our school community and will never be forgotten.”
The coach’s contact information still appears on the school website’s coaching staff directory.
