CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — A college community is in mourning after a weekend crash on Interstate 75 in Clayton County claimed the lives of three young people with ties to Stillman College, an HBCU in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
The victims, Varick Lawrence, Destiny Gardner, and Sieas Elliott, all lived in Atlanta but were either current or former students at Stillman.
Lawrence and Elliott were members of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., and Gardner was a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
Channel 2’s Eryn Rogers spoke with fraternity brothers and friends who are grappling with the loss and remembering the impact the three had on their lives.
“I’ve been looking at all our videos and pictures,” said Arick Evans Jr., a fraternity brother. “Just reminiscing about the time we did have with each other.”
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Evans said the news hit especially hard because all three were close to him. “For it to be so close, on my line, in my chapter, it just kind of hurt,” he said.
Family members said police informed them the single-vehicle crash happened along I-75 South near Old Dixie Road. Clayton County officers have not yet released details on what caused the crash, which remains under investigation.
Elliott’s mother recalled the devastating moment she learned the outcome.
“He was like nobody survived, and your worst nightmare comes true,” she said.
All three had deep ties to Stillman College. Elliott was expected to graduate next semester. Solomon Strong, another fraternity brother, said Elliott was “on the way to success” and was “on the rise.”
Lawrence, who played baseball with Elliott, was working as a coach in Atlanta and was interested in becoming a police officer.
“When you saw one, you saw another. They were together,” Strong said.
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Gardner worked at the DeKalb Youth Detention Center. She and Lawrence were in a relationship and shared a son, Zaire, who will turn 9 months old in a few days.
“She always said, ‘I need to make it home to Zaire,’” said Evans. “It’s heartbreaking that she didn’t make it back to him that night.”
Friends described all three as genuine, joyful, and deeply dedicated to their Greek life and HBCU community.
“Some of the most genuine people that I’ve met while I was at Stillman,” Evans added. “They always were happy, telling jokes.”
The brothers of Omega Psi Phi say they are leaning on one another for strength and are planning a memorial in Tuscaloosa after funeral services are held.
“Seeing some people so young leave in a way like that, so early. They’ll be gone, but they surely will not be forgotten,” Evans said.
Police continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the crash.
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