A 12-year-old cheerleader, Ana Zarkovic, passed away in a car accident on Saturday, August 24, 2025, in Harrison County, Ohio.
Ana, a seventh-grade student at Harrison Hills City School District, took her last breath when a utility vehicle she was in flipped over near her home.
Besides, Ana, a 14-year-old passenger, Gia White, in the vehicle, had minor injuries and was treated before being released to her parents.
Reportedly, the crash happened on Old Smyrna Road, close to State Route 800 in Freeport Township.
According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, Ana was riding in a black 2016 Kawasaki Mule Pro when it overturned on the road and crashed into a ditch.
Ana was taken to Southeastern Ohio Regional Medical Center in Cambridge, but sadly, she passed away there.
Reportedly, authorities believe the vehicle was going too fast, which may have caused the accident.
Ana Zarkovic is survived by her parents, Angela and Goran Zarkovic, and extended family.
Her mother, Angela, broke her silence surrounding the accident when Ana was taken to the medical center. She asked for prayers for Ana, writing, “I need every single person to join together RIGHT NOW and pray.“
After Ana took her last breath, Angela penned a lengthy tribute post showing what she meant to her:
This beautiful girl right here was the sole reason for my existence. My everything. The reason that I breathe. This beautiful girl right here was the sole reason for my existence. My everything. The reason that I breath. I need to remember this face. I can’t close my eyes. I can’t stop replaying this day. I took the amount of Xanax that I can take.
Angela Zarkovic
She described the unbearable pain of losing her daughter, who had helped her through tough times, including the death of her own mother, writing:
There is no sleep for me. How do I endure this? She got me through my mom’s death.
Angela Zarkovic
Angela wrote about her struggle to cope, saying, “I can’t close my eyes. I can’t stop replaying this day. Goran and I are so lost. We don’t know how to live.”
Likewise, she also urged everyone to pray for Gia White via a social media post. She wrote:
Please don’t forget to pray for a little girl named Gia White. She left the scene without a scratch, but what she endured will never leave her. Please pray that God will heal her heart. She watched her friend die, and she was the only one there. She ran to the house screaming for help, alone, in a place she’s never been, calling to people she doesn’t know. Please pray for her too.
Angela Zarkovic
Meanwhile, the Steubenville Highway Patrol Post is still looking into what happened.
Ana was a bright and beloved cheerleader who was known for her involvement in the Junior High cheerleading program.
Just a month ago, in July 2025, Ana Zarkovic became the “Cheerleader of the month.”
Harrison Hills City School District shared a tribute post on Saturday night.
The Superintendent Duran Morgan wrote, “We are heartbroken to report that Ana Zarkovic, a seventh-grade student, passed away in the accident. Ana was a bright light in our community and an active member of our Junior High cheerleading program.“
So far, the details surrounding Ana’s funeral services have yet to be published by her family.
During this difficult phase, we pray for the strength of Ana’s parents, friends, teammates, and extended family.
Rest In Heavenly Peace, Ana Zarkovic!
