Vigil Held for ‘Loving’ Mom Who Was Hit by Vehicle While Retrieving Luggage That Fell into Roadway

An Alabama mom is being remembered for her passion and grace after she was fatally struck by a vehicle while attempting to retrieve luggage that had fallen into the roadway.

Authorities said Elizabeth Atkinson, 47, was going on a girls’ trip with her two daughters and two of her friends on Tuesday when the incident occurred on State Highway 181 near Rigsby Road in Daphne, according to USA Today and FOX affiliate WALA-TV.

Atkinson entered the roadway to retrieve the items just after 6:15 a.m. local time, at which time she was struck. She was pronounced dead at the scene. PEOPLE has reached out to the Daphne Police Department for comment.

Dozens of people gathered at Bayside Academy on Wednesday for a prayer vigil honoring Atkinson’s life, WALA-TV reported.

Atkinson was “a loving and dedicated mother to her two children,” who attend the school, according to her obituary. She is remembered by family and friends “for her unwavering faith, generous spirit, giving heart and beautiful and contagious smile.”

“Elizabeth was a devout Christian with a generous heart and soul,” the obituary shares, noting that she “dedicated endless volunteer hours to her daughter’s school.”

Atkinson was also passionate about being outdoors and “enjoyed fishing and boating with family and friends.” She was “an avid traveler” and a breast cancer survivor, as well.

“Her most cherished and dedicated role was that of a wife and full-time stay-at-home mom, which brought her the most incredible joy,” per the obituary.

Data recordings from the vehicle that hit Atkinson confirmed that speeding was not a factor, the DPD said on Wednesday, per WALA-TV. They also stated that the driver was returning home from an overnight work shift and was not impaired.

“We believe the back hatch of the truck came open and a piece of luggage fell out and came open on the highway and scattered clothing which she stopped and tried to pick up … along with another family member,” DPD Captain Reginald Ardis said, per a previous WALA-TV report.

Services for Atkinson will be held Saturday, Jan. 13 at The Venue at Hidden Lake in Silverhill, according to her obituary.

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