Messenger/ Scottie Brown/ Ngoc Vo

Friends and family were mourning the loss of Lauren Strickland on Tuesday.

The 20-year-old Troy University student from Ariton died when the vehicle she was driving collided with an 18-wheeler around 11 a.m. Tuesday on Alabama Highway 10 about five miles east of Clio.

“We had the afternoon 1- and 2-year-old class together everyday,” said Whitney Johnson, who worked with Strickland as a teacher at First Baptist Church of Troy. “She had a very bubbly personality and was always laughing. There’s not one child there that didn’t love her.”

Johnson said Strickland would be “missed more than words can describe.” “It was a joy to work with her each day and to have known her sweet and joyful spirit for the time that I got to,” Johnson said. “The children at Mother’s Day out loved her and she loved the children.”

Strickland, a 2013 graduate of Ariton High School, made an impact on her many friends and classmates at the university. Angelica Lewis had classes with Strickland for three semesters. “(Lauren) always put a smile on my face,” Lewis said. “She was always laughing … She was always kind to everyone. My boyfriend’s sister passed away two months ago and she came to her funeral. That meant so much to us.”

According to the Alabama State Troopers, the two-vehicle crash occurred at approximately 10:45 a.m. Tuesday. Strickland was driving a 2007 Mazda 6 which collided with a 2014 International tractor-trailer driven by Clarence Hardison, 50, of Portsmouth, Va. Strickland, who was not using a seat belt, was pronounced dead at the scene. Hardison was transported to a local hospital for treatment of his injuries.

Nothing further is available as Alabama State Troopers continue to investigate.