Destiny Gardner dies in fatal Forest Park, Georgia car crash

Destiny Gardner dies in fatal Forest Park, Georgia car crash

Fatal Forest Park, Georgia car crash death of Destiny Gardner – Obituary

Three close friends, including Destiny Gardner, were tragically killed in a car accident in Forest Park, Georgia over the Memorial Day weekend. Gardner, a Stillman College alumna and mother of a 9-month-old son, lost her life alongside her fiancé Varick Lawrence and friend Sieas Elliott.

The deadly crash occurred on Friday, May 23, near the junction of Interstate 75 and Old Dixie Road, according to information from Clayton County Police reported by WSB-TV. The circumstances surrounding the collision are still being investigated.

Stillman College, the Alabama institution all three attended, confirmed the identities of the victims. Elliott, 24, was still a student at the time, while Gardner and Lawrence had already graduated. The college community expressed deep sorrow over the loss, with President Dr. Yolanda W. Page noting the lasting impact the three had on those around them.

Gardner and Lawrence were not only planning their future together, but also raising their infant son, Zaire. Lawrence’s grandmother, Dot Mitchell, shared her heartbreak, saying the family had been preparing for a wedding, not mourning three young lives.

Lawrence, who graduated in 2023, had been a baseball coach in the Atlanta area and was affiliated with Omega Psi Phi fraternity. Gardner, who earned her degree in criminal justice in 2022, worked at the DeKalb Regional Youth Detention Center as a juvenile officer. Both were actively involved in their community and continued to represent Stillman’s values beyond graduation.

Elliott, who was preparing to return for the 2025–2026 academic year, had aspirations in early childhood education and also served as a student assistant baseball coach. Like Lawrence, he was also a member of Omega Psi Phi.

Tributes poured in from the Stillman community, including former head baseball coach Terrance Whittle, who recalled the bonds he formed with both Elliott and Lawrence. He described their legacy as deeply ingrained in the Stillman family and said their memory will endure through the relationships they built.

The loss of Destiny Gardner, Varick Lawrence, and Sieas Elliott has left an irreplaceable void in the lives of their families, friends, and the broader community they touched.