Santa Barbara Woman Killed in Bay Area Wreck

Sherry Hicks, a teacher at Olive Grove Charter School, was fatally injured when a driver drove onto the sidewalk

By Giana Magnoli, Noozhawk Staff Writer | @magnoli | Published on 09.10.2012 12:04 p.m.

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A Santa Barbara woman was struck and killed in a vehicle accident Saturday evening while visiting her son and daughter-in-law in Walnut Creek, the Bay Area News Group reported.

Sherry Hicks, 52, was walking with the couple when a driver reportedly drove onto the sidewalk and hit the group of people right outside the Walnut Creek Marriott on North Main Street and Parkside Drive.

The impact threw Hicks into a center median about 80 feet away, according to news reports, and she was pronounced dead at the scene.

Her daughter-in-law was taken to a hospital with severe injuries, the San Jose Mercury News reported.

Responding parties had to cut the truck open to remove the driver, Hossein Tabrizi of Walnut Creek, 53, who was taken to the hospital, released and arrested on suspicion of manslaughter, according to news reports.

Hicks was a teacher with the Olive Grove Charter School, which has several school sites and provides resources to home-schooled students all over San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara County. She specialized in mathematics and worked with home-schooled high school students who were also taking classes at Santa Barbara City College in its dual enrollment program.

“A dedicated teacher, Sherry poured herself into her work and personally shepherded many Olive Grove students around the SBCC campus,” said Marsha Filbin, superintendent of the Los Olivos School District.

“Deeply committed to the dual enrollment program, Sherry was infectiously enthusiastic about her students’ many accomplishments and worked hard to assist them in reaching their goals. Talented, vibrant, a wonderfully loving and supportive person, a treasured wife and mother, Sherry touched many lives.

“Her absence is already keenly felt. Olive Grove Charter School and Los Olivos School District colleagues are devastated by this sudden and tragic loss. We offer our sincere condolences to Sherry’s family and pray for the full recovery of her daughter-in-law who was very seriously injured in the accident. Grief counseling is being arranged by the district for Sherry’s students and her colleagues.”

Services were pending Monday.

— Noozhawk staff writer Giana Magnoli can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.

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