‘She was a really special person’: Educator killed in Transit Road crash remembered for kindness
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Jennifer Hylkema, 51, of Lockport was killed by an alleged drunk driver on Transit Road Monday night. She’s now being remembered by her colleagues as a warm and gentle educator.
Jennifer Hylkema’s sixth-grade mathematics students at the Stanley G. Falk School came to school Tuesday to find her classroom door shut.
Hylkema, who spent 25 years teaching there, tragically passed away on Monday in a car crash turning out of a parking lot onto Transit Road.
The Erie County District Attorney’s Office said 24-year-old Alondra Ramirez-Santiago of Cheektowaga was driving drunk and speeding when she crashed into Hylkema’s vehicle.
“All of it is just so fresh,” Falk School superintendent Rachael Greene said. “And you know the kids even being able to walk by that room has been really tough.”
While speaking outside of Hylkema’s classroom, Greene reflected on the model educator and the beautiful soul the community has lost.
Woman killed after vehicle is struck by alleged drunk driver on Transit Road
“When I think about Jenn, I think about just her gentle and soft approach,” Greene added. “She was so patient and kind. And I think that’s what really drew students into her. And she really kind of led with that.”
Greene said Hylema’s love of fun, like dressing up for Halloween, helped her forge genuine bonds with her students.
She said outside of the classroom Hyklema loved to spend quality time with her husband, daughter and son.
The school wanted their students to learn of the tragedy with the people closest to them.
“We made the decision to really allow the students to learn the news in the comfort of their home with their family,” Greene said. “And I know as a parent, you know, I look through that lens of, you know, if this were my child learning something devastating, you know, I want to be there with them.”
The sign above Hylkema’s classroom door reads ‘I had the best day with you today,’ which serves as a memory her students will always carry with them.
“She was a really special person and the rock of this sixth-grade team,” said Greene.
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