The community of Duluth, Georgia, is grieving the profound loss of Sylvia Akers, a dedicated assistant basketball coach and special education teacher at Duluth High School. The tragic incident occurred on the night of Tuesday, January 20, 2026, when Akers was driving home on Interstate 985 after attending the school’s home basketball game against Brookwood.
The fatal accident took place on I-985 northbound, just past Spout Springs Road. According to the Georgia State Patrol, a trooper was dispatched to the scene of a single-vehicle crash at approximately 8:14 p.m. The preliminary investigation found that the white Ford F-150 truck Akers was driving left its lane for reasons still under investigation, traveled off the roadway onto the east shoulder, and overturned multiple times.
Sylvia Akers sustained serious injuries in the crash and was transported to Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville for emergency treatment. Despite the efforts of medical personnel, she succumbed to her injuries at the hospital. Her passing was announced to the Duluth High School community on Wednesday, casting a shadow of sadness over the school.
Akers had been an integral part of the Duluth High School community for 16 years, serving as both a special education teacher and an assistant coach for the girls’ basketball team. In a poignant detail, it was reported that she had recently signed her retirement paperwork with Gwinnett County Public Schools, marking the end of a long and impactful career just as her well-earned retirement was about to begin.
Her loss has been deeply felt by colleagues and students. Duluth’s head girls basketball coach, Shyla Dunford, expressed the collective grief, describing Akers as “the light of our program”. Dunford remembered her as a multifaceted pillar of the team—a mentor, a truth-teller, a source of comic relief, and a coach whose heart was “pure and full of love”. Her influence extended beyond the court, touching countless lives through her steady kindness and unwavering support in the classroom.
Sylvia Akers was also remembered for her own accomplished background as a student-athlete. A native of Gainesville, she was a standout basketball player at East Hall High School, helping lead her team to state championships, and later played at the collegiate level in the Southeastern Conference. The school planned to honor her life and legacy during its upcoming home basketball games. As the community mourns, her legacy as a dedicated educator, a passionate coach, and a beloved mentor is assured to live on through the countless students and athletes she inspired.