Beloved crossing guard recovering after driver strikes her outside Medford elementary school
The video, first obtained by News 12, shows the driver striking the woman.
A Suffolk County Police Department crossing guard is recovering after a driver struck and injured her outside a Medford elementary school on Tuesday, officials said.
Video obtained first by News 12 shows an adult pedestrian approaching the intersection as the guard goes out into the crosswalk to allow the person to cross.
The guard then displayed her stop sign as a driver barreled down Wave Avenue, turned left onto Beechnut Avenue and struck the defenseless woman.
"There was a lot of commotion down here, and I said, 'What is going on?'" Medford resident Jeneen Walker said. "The cars were all over the place, and people didn't know how to drive. I said, 'What's going on?' And I could see her green jacket [and] her on the ground."
Suffolk County police said the crash happened just after 9 a.m. yesterday, around the corner from Eagle Elementary School.
Signs posted in the neighborhood show that a 20 mph school zone was in effect beginning at 7 a.m. A minute before the crash, the video shows a dozen young kids and adults crossing the same intersection on their way to school.
Suffolk County police said the injured crossing guard had been with the department for 20 years.
At least one kid witnessed it, according to the Patchogue-Medford School District.
"Yesterday, a crossing guard who works closely with the Eagle Elementary School community was struck by a vehicle near the school," Patchogue-Medford Interim Superintendent of Schools Lori Cannetti wrote in a letter to the community. "Upon learning of the incident, the District immediately reached out to check on them, and they appear to be recovering. We truly appreciate their dedication and care as a guardian of student safety, and our thoughts are with them for a fast recovery."
People who live near where the scary incident unfolded said reckless driving is out of control.
"This whole area here, especially during school, is insane," Medford resident Lori Merck said.
Others said they've been calling for additional safety measures in the area, including additional stop signs or police patrols during school hours. The turn the driver made before striking the guard did not have a stop sign in that direction.
"I just want parents and anybody within the neighborhood to please just drive safely, stop at stop signs, pay attention," Merck said. "There are kids here."
Suffolk County police told News 12, "Sixth Precinct officers are addressing traffic concerns on the roads near Eagle Elementary School, with added patrols during school arrival and dismissal."
The driver, identified by police as 67-year-old Blue Point resident Paulette Nicosia, was issued a summons for failure to yield.
