PROSPER, Texas — Officials confirmed a 23-year-old Prosper ISD choir instructor died in a Thursday car crash in Frisco.
Frisco police and the school district identified the victim as McKenna Johnson. Authorities have yet to explain what they suspect caused the wreck, only saying it happened on Coit Road north of Main Street at about 8 a.m. on Jan. 18. And that "no criminal charges are expected to be filed at this time."
Johnson, a recent Stephen F. Austin State University graduate, taught choir at Hays and Rushing Middle schools. The school district has made available crisis counselors to any staff or students who need support.
"In the wake of our beloved teacher McKenna Johnson's passing, our hearts are burdened, and words seem insufficient to express the depth of our sorrow," Prosper ISD superintendent Holly Ferguson said in a statement.
"McKenna Johnson was more than an educator; she was a beacon of inspiration, a professional who loved her job and left an indelible mark on those she touched," Ferguson continued.
Friends have flooded social media with tributes memorializing the 23-year old, who sang at First Christian Church of McKinney.
"McKenna was an incredibly selfless person and I think she did her best to serve others," Johnson's friend Olivia Cook told WFAA.
The two met at Camp Sweeney, a Gainesville summer program for children living with Type 1 diabetes. Johnson attended the camp and returned after high school to be a counselor there, Cook said.
"She especially helped the new campers, who were newly-diagnosed and who were anxious or scared," Cook said. "She really helped get them out of their shell."
Johnson had the ideal personality for a middle school teacher, Cook added.
"She made you feel comfortable and safe to tell her anything, without being judged," Cook said. "She had a beautiful soul and was a beautiful person."
Johnson's family will hold a private memorial for the 23-year-old Saturday.
"McKenna would probably tell me that it's okay to be sad for a little while, but that I will see her again one day and that she's still here with me," Cook said. "I'm trying to hold on to that in my heart."
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