Teacher with ‘joy for theatre’ dies in crash on her way to school, SC officials say
A beloved teacher with a “joy for theatre” died in a crash on her way to school, South Carolina officials said.
Betty Bohmer, a longtime educator, “was known for her constant positive attitude and infectious love for students.” But her life was cut short when she was killed in a crash early Wednesday, Aug. 23, according to Spartanburg District Five Schools.
“Our hearts are broken,” Superintendent Randall Gary wrote in an emailed statement. “This loss reaches far beyond the three schools this teacher has called home, and impacts our entire district.”
State troopers told WHNS and WSPA that Bohmer, 47, was driving on U.S. Highway 221 when she tried to make a turn. A truck hit her vehicle on the passenger’s side, and she died at the scene, the Spartanburg County Coroner’s Office wrote in an email to McClatchy News.
The tragedy left the Spartanburg Five school district reeling. Bohmer had been with the district for 23 years and worked at D.R. Hill Middle School and Byrnes High School and Freshman Academy before taking on her most recent role as a theater teacher at Duncan Elementary School of the Arts.
“Her passion for the arts was evident in everything she did, as she spent countless hours sharing her joy for theatre with students, and leading them in the school’s spring musical production,” the school system wrote.
After Bohmer’s death, the district said it planned to have counseling available for students and staff members.
“She loved the kids that she taught,” Kristi Mathis, who worked with Bohmer for years, told WSPA. “Will be dearly missed, for her love for others, for animals, for her school, for her family.”
The coroner’s office said it plans for a forensic exam on Bohmer, who was “restrained” at the time of the crash.
The S.C. Highway Patrol didn’t immediately share additional details about the deadly wreck with McClatchy News on Aug. 24.
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