A Hall County teacher and coach was killed when a car hit his motorcycle Tuesday morning.
Victor Vega, 54, of Gainesville, was driving along Jesse Jewell Parkway approaching Old Cornelia Highway on his 2003 Honda CMX 300 around 7:45 a.m., according to the Georgia State Patrol. Around the same time, a driver in a Chevrolet Suburban failed to yield while making a left turn, causing Vega to hit the Suburban’s front right bumper.
Vega, who worked at East Hall High School north of Gainesville, was thrown from his motorcycle and struck by the Suburban, the state patrol said. He was rushed to Northeast Georgia Medical Center but did not survive.
The State Patrol said the driver of the Suburban faces charges of second-degree vehicular homicide and failure to yield while turning, both misdemeanors. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is not identifying her because she is not charged with a felony.
A crisis team is at the high school to support students and staff struggling with Vega’s death.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of teacher and coach Victor Vega,” Stan Lewis, the school district’s director of communications and athletics, said in a statement to the AJC. “Our prayers go out to the Vega family, the students and faculty at East Hall High School, and the East Hall community.”
Vega, a business teacher, earned his master’s degree in business administration from Park University in Parkville, Missouri, according to his biography on the school’s website. He played baseball in college, giving him the needed experience to help coach baseball and softball teams at East Hall. He also collaborated with the Atlanta Braves to develop young baseball players, his bio states.
Before his career in education, Vega served in the U.S. Air Force.
“He was a beloved teacher, coach, husband and father who lit up every room he entered,” the East Hall High School Athletics Department wrote on social media. “His passion for students was unmistakable, and his impact on the East Hall community was profound. Coach Vega will be deeply missed. We will always remember you, Coach Vega.”
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