"I had to just kind of level-set myself because it had a tremendous impact on me," Principal Lamont Dixon said. "Miss Boynton was a wonderful person, a great staff member, and in my 30 years of being an educator, she's a top-quality individual."
A Virginia man was arrested this week in connection with the fatal crash. Police said Theopris Mays, 40, was working as a Lyft driver when he lost control of his car and crashed into a building. Police said Mays was driving recklessly and at a high rate of speed.
"Everybody is just navigating through this," Dixon said. "There is a lot of disbelief right now."
A former track-and-field athlete, Boynton is remembered as a "world-class talent" and "world-class person" who served the Durham Striders for more than four decades.
She was a leader beyond the track who loved her students.
"Her energy, her enthusiasm, her smile, her laughter just really inspired everybody in our school community," Dixon said.
ABC11 reached out to Boynton's family and Lyft for comment.
"Our hearts are broken by this unimaginable loss," a Lyft spokesperson said. "We extend our condolences to the riders' family, friends, and loved ones and have reached out to offer our support. The driver is permanently removed from the Lyft platform, and we are cooperating with law enforcement." -
Meanwhile, Mays is being held on a $500,000 bond in Detroit and is expected to appear in court in March.
Dixon said support will be available for students and staffers as they cope with the loss of a beloved physical education teacher.
"She was the jack of all trades, willing to help lend a helping hand," Dixon said. "In any event we had at the school, oftentimes, and we had activities that ran late into the evening, she would be here helping us to either set things up or take things down. It's just a testament to her selflessness as an individual and a person."
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