A current student and two graduates from an Alabama college with connections to metro Atlanta were died in a Friday night crash, according to Stillman College.
Sieas Elliott, Destiny Gardner, and Varick Lawerence died in an accident on Friday. Elliot, a current college student, was from Stockbridge, according to Stillman College. He planned to return for the 2025-26 school year to complete his degree and serve as a student assistant baseball coach.
Lawrence, a Lithonia native, graduated from Stillman College in 2023. According to the college, he worked as a basketball coach in metro Atlanta.
Gardner previously worked as a juvenile officer at the DeKalb Regional Youth Detention Center in Alabama. Lawrence and Gardner, both alumni of the college, have a son.
“This is a sad tragedy for the entire Stillman family. The spirit of each of these proud Stillmanites will live on in the hearts of all who were greeted by their kind faces and inviting dispositions. The Stillman College community mourns this tragic loss. “We extend our heartfelt condolences to their families, friends, classmates, and teammates during this extremely difficult time,” stated Stillman College president Dr. Yolanda W. Page.
Stillman Director of Athletics Terrance Whittle stated that Elliott, Gardner, and Lawrence’s legacy will continue on at Stillman through the ties they established.
“I was profoundly grieved to read of the tragic deaths of two former student-athletes, Sieas Elliott and Varick Lawrence, and Miss Destiny Gardner. The Department of Athletics wishes to convey its heartfelt condolences to the families of these young people, all of whom left an indelible mark on Stillman College. “Their legacy will live on at Stillman through the relationships they built while here,” Whittle added.
Stillman College did not specify where in the metro the accident occurred. Atlanta News First is investigating the accident.
Stillman College is located in Tuscaloosa, which is approximately three hours west of Atlanta.
Reference: 3 from Alabama college with ties to metro Atlanta killed in crash
