Leah Hyde was was fatally struck by a vehicle allegedly attempting to drive around her stopped car on the James River Expressway
Credit: gofundme
NEED TO KNOW
- Leah Hyde was killed when she was hit by a vehicle allegedly attempting to drive around her stopped car on the James River Expressway in Missouri on June 2
- Moments before she was struck, the occupational therapist hit the median divider, came to a stop and exited her car
- “To know Leah was to know warmth. She was the kindest of souls — empathetic, giving, and full of light,” read her obituary
A pregnant woman was killed while getting out of her vehicle on a Missouri highway.
Leah Hyde was driving a “2015 Subaru Forester westbound on James River Expressway … when the vehicle hit the concrete median divider and came to a stop in the far inside lane” near Campbell around 1:23 p.m. on June 2, the Springfield Police Department (SPD) shared on Facebook.
Police said when Hyde, 24, got out of the driver's side of the vehicle, she was hit by a westbound 2017 Toyota Corolla driven by 25-year-old Sheri Jones, who was allegedly attempting to avoid the vehicle in the roadway by driving her car around Hyde's car on the left.
Hyde died as a result of the collision, and her family was notified.
“The circumstances of the crash are part of an ongoing investigation,” SPD wrote in a statement, encouraging anyone with information to come forward or make an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers.
Credit: gofundme
In addition to mourning Hyde's death, her family paid tribute to her unborn daughter, Lark Elizabeth, who was “five months along and already so deeply loved,” according to a GoFundMe created by a family friend.
“Leah was the kind of person this world needs more of,” Bernadette Shively wrote. “She had a heart that was always turned toward others — especially children. She dedicated her life to serving and caring for kids, showing up for them with a love that came naturally and completely. She was the best. Anyone who knew her will tell you the same.”
After graduating from Marshfield Schools in 2020, Hyde was known for having the most “caring soul” while working as an occupational therapist for area school districts.
“I think about her caring soul and how she cared about the children and wanted them to be the best humans that they could be as adults,” Valerie Willis, a longtime family friend, told KY3 of Hyde. “She wanted to have her hand in that. She was so proud to be a part.”
Credit: gofundme
In addition to sending condolences to her husband, Joshua Snodgrass, Hyde's community has rallied to show support to the rest of her family in the days after her death.
“To know Leah was to know warmth. She was the kindest of souls – empathetic, giving, and full of light,” her obituary reads. “She loved a good book paired with a great cup of coffee, and found her happiest moments at home, wrapped in the comfort of the people and things she cherished. She was, in every sense, sunshine personified.”
“Leah leaves behind a hole in the world that only she could fill, and a light in the hearts of everyone lucky enough to have known her,” the obituary concludes.
A visitation and celebration of life will be held on Thursday, June 18, at Greenlawn Funeral Home East in Springfield.
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