In Loving Memory of Donna Hires
FORT WHITE, Fla. — With heavy hearts, family, friends, and the Fort White community mourn the tragic loss of Donna Hires, 56, whose life was taken in a devastating crash Thursday night in Columbia County.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the accident occurred around 8:30 p.m. along U.S. 27 near Southwest Junction Road. Donna was traveling westbound when, for reasons still being examined, her pickup truck veered off the roadway to the left. The vehicle overturned, flipping onto its roof before striking several trees along the highway.
Despite emergency response efforts, Donna was pronounced deceased at the scene. Authorities later reported that she was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash.
While details of the collision are still being reviewed, what remains painfully clear is that a beloved woman, daughter, friend, and community member has been lost far too soon.
Donna Hires was more than the tragic circumstances of one evening — she was a woman whose presence mattered deeply to those around her. At 56, she had lived a life filled with relationships, memories, lessons, and love. Those who knew Donna describe her as strong-willed yet compassionate, independent yet deeply caring. She carried herself with quiet resilience and a heart that made room for others.
In a close-knit community like Fort White, loss resonates far beyond immediate family. Neighbors become extended family, and every life is woven into the fabric of daily routines — familiar waves, shared conversations, and simple acts of kindness. Donna’s absence will be felt in those ordinary moments that now hold extraordinary weight.
For her loved ones, the grief is immeasurable. The suddenness of such a loss leaves no time for goodbyes, no final words, only memories to hold onto. Those memories — laughter shared, stories told, time spent together — now become sacred treasures.
Her passing also serves as a solemn reminder of the importance of roadway safety. In moments like these, communities are reminded how fragile life can be and how critical simple safety measures can be. Though nothing can undo this heartbreaking loss, awareness and caution may help prevent future tragedies.
As family members prepare to honor Donna’s life, they do so with profound sorrow but also with gratitude for the years they were blessed to share with her. Funeral arrangements are expected to be announced in the coming days.
Today, we remember Donna Hires not for how she left this world, but for how she lived in it — as a woman who mattered, who loved, and who was loved in return.
May she rest in eternal peace. Her memory will live on in the hearts of all who knew her, and her spirit will forever remain a part of the Fort White community she called home.








