FLOWERY BRANCH, GA — The metro Atlanta community is mourning the loss of a beloved teacher and long-time assistant basketball coach who died in a crash on Tuesday.

Flowery Branch police and the Georgia State Patrol responded to the area of I-985 North near Exit 12 after reports of a crash. Upon arrival, officers found the vehicle involved as well as a woman identified as Sylvia Akers. She was rushed to the hospital, where she later died.

Shyla Dunford, Head Coach of the Duluth High School basketball program, shared the following:

“Coach Sylvia was the light of our program. She was everything we needed her to be- the mentor, coach, comic relief, and truth teller all at once. Her heart was pure and full of love, which she poured into everyone around her.”

Officials say Akers was a long-time assistant basketball coach and special educational teacher at Duluth High School.

“She dedicated 16 years of service to the school and is remembered as a mentor, friend, and educator whose passion positively impacted countless students,” officials added.

“The Flowery Branch Police Department extends our deepest thoughts and prayers to the family, friends, colleagues, and students of Sylvia Akers during this incredibly difficult time. Please keep the Akers family, the Hall County community, and the Duluth High School community in your thoughts and prayers as they grieve and process this profound loss,” Flowery Branch police said in a Facebook post.