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Community concerned after North Central High School crossing guard hit

Posted at 11:23 PM, Mar 08, 2019
and last updated 2019-03-08 23:23:54-05

INDIANAPOLIS — A crossing guard was hit Friday morning on the south side of 86th Street on North Central High School property.

Pamela Kochinsky said every morning when she drops her daughter off at school she watches the crossing guard step to the middle of 86th Street to stop eastbound traffic.

"So the westbound traffic - particularly school buses, of course - can turn into the entrance here," Kochinsky said. "There needs to be a regular traffic light at this intersection right here the entrance to North Central High School."

Kochinsky said the school sent out a message about what happened Friday morning.

In part, the voice message said, "One of our traffic control officers who was directing traffic at the time was struck by a vehicle."

RTV6 wanted to find out how dangerous this job is - so we asked an expert.

"People don't pay enough attention. It makes me angry like I can't even tell you," Taylor Andrews, a crossing guard in Mooresville, said. "I watched some lady with a newspaper in front of her face blow through my sign one day."

Andrews said a reckless driver was driving by one morning last year when she was trying to stop traffic.

"As I turned around, I just managed to step back - just enough - that he caught my right side and sent my sign flying," Andrews said. She was left bruised, and the driver got away, and Friday's incident at North Central High School brought back memories for the crossing guard.

"It didn't surprise me; it made me really proud of my fellow guard."

Andrews has a message for drivers:

"Your text message, your song, your voicemail, is not more important than the life of that child, or mine crossing that street."

Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said the injuries to the crossing guard are considered minor.

With daylight savings time on Sunday, that intersection on 86th Street will only get darker in the morning next week.

For information on how to request a traffic signal where you live, click here.