South Fulton teacher Latara Worthy killed by hit-and-run driver

The search continues for the driver of a white car who hit and killed a Fulton County school teacher just a short distance from her home, Union City police said.

Loved ones stepped inside of the home, one by one, to offer their condolences to the family of 29-year-old Latara Worthy, described as a loving mother, wife and teacher, who was run over and killed early Sunday on South Fulton Parkway.  The accident happened just east of Mason Road at approximately 3:30 a.m.  Worthy's mother, who Channel 2's Erica Byfield spoke to in an off-camera interview, said her daughter was in the car with someone and got hit when she stepped out of the vehicle. Family members do not know why she left the car.

Loved ones told Byfield that the Woodland Middle School teacher, who mothered a 1-year-old girl, had a passion for education for her students as well as herself.  Worthy was two weeks away from completing her master's degree, and two days away from celebrating her birthday.  She would have tued 30 on Tuesday.

Quentin Jones, a 13-year-old student, shared fond memories as a student in Worthy's language arts class.

"She was the best teacher on our hall," he said, recalling that Worthy always had a big smile on her face.

"She used to be a fun teacher.  She used to be smiling and letting us play around, doing our work and stuff."

Woman killed in Union City

Meanwhile, drivers travelling along South Fulton Parkway, where the accident occurred, sent their well wishes to the family after speaking on the danger they've observed along the busy roadway.

"My prayers and condolences (go) to the family, whoever lost a loved one, man,"Javon Gay said after the incident, which shut down South Fulton Parkway for several hours.

One woman stressed the difficulty of seeing on the stretch of road at night and that she almost hit someone last week.

”There was someone very close walking in the opposite direction, almost in my lane.  And it’s dark out here;  you can’t see, Brenda Pate told Byfield.

Police said they are still trying to track down the driver of the vehicle that killed Worthy.

Worthy's aunt, Wilhelmina Shanks, told Channel 2's Amy Napier Viteri she wants answers saying, "We demand justice."

"This has totally destroyed my family, her mother, her husband, her 1-year-old child," Shanks added. "Someone has taken that right from her, and they also took it from her family."