KITSAP COUNTY, Wash. — Silverdale is mourning the loss of a beloved teacher who was hit and killed by a driver during an early morning run on Friday. Flowers mark the intersection at Greaves Way and Old Frontier Road where Amy Higgins died.
“She was just a bright light in the community,” said Monique Arnold.
Higgins, 50, worked for Central Kitsap Schools for 27 years. She was a reading teacher at Emerald Heights Elementary where Arnold is an after-school teacher.
“Everyone there is just grieving really heavily,” Arnold added.
Higgins was also an avid runner and cyclist in the community, and a member of the Haselwood YMCA where her husband works.
That's where she met Mark Logue five years ago.
"She didn't leave any stone unturned as she tried to help people out," Logue said.
Logue said she took him under her wing four years ago when his wife died of cancer.
“Amy would have me over for dinner and she would say, ‘Mark, you need to come early so I can teach you how to cook,’” Logue explained. “Her ability to reach out and pragmatically make sure I was functioning.”
She was a regular in her husband's Tuesday morning spin class. Hogue subbed in today and honored her memory by holding a special moment of silence during today's class. Members decorated her favorite bike in her regular spot.
"She definitely left a big print on the community," Logue added.
The Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office said Higgins was hit by a car traveling southbound on Greaves while she was in a marked crosswalk, even though she was wearing a reflective vest and carrying a flashlight.
KIRO 7 spoke with people who said her death underscores the need for a stoplight at this intersection.
“It's just very confusing and dangerous,” Arnold said. “I think a stoplight is the only thing that will give people a clear idea what they need to do as they're approaching and going through the intersection.”
Authorities say the driver who hit Higgins is 24 years old. He voluntarily gave a sample of his blood. Toxicology tests are pending. In the meantime, those who knew Higgins will remember her as a bright light gone too soon.
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