Officials call for reform after crossing guard injury

As reported by the Queens Chronicle:

After reports surfaced Thursday morning that a crossing guard at PS 212 in Jackson Heights was hit by a parked car that was flung into motion by a passing vehicle, area leaders called for reform.

According to the NYPD, the 75-year-old woman was sitting on a stationary 2009 Honda Accord near the intersection of 82nd Street and 34th Avenue a little before 10:40 a.m.

The driver, 44, of a 2007 Honda Odyssey traveling southbound on 82nd Avenue, hit the parked Accord, sending the crossing guard to the ground, the NYPD said. The victim sustained a head injury. The driver remained on the scene.

Emergency Medical Services arrived on the scene and brought the woman, who was conscious, to Elmhurst Hospital. She is in stable condition, police said, adding that the NYPD's Collision Investigation Squad is still looking into the case.

“We have to work together to protect our schools' crossing guards. We have a duty to protect them and this kind of incident highlights the need for urgent reform," state Sen. Jose Peralta (D-East Elmhurst) said in a statement. "I have repeatedly called upon the NYPD to fill crossing guard vacancies at schools to protect pedestrians. I believe we should evaluate current procedure and create new ways to safeguard their well-being."

Shaun Francois, president of Local 372, New York City Board of Education Employees, said in a statement that the injury "highlights the dangers that our school crossing guards face on a daily basis while protecting our 1.2 million children."

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