Principal: Crossing guard fatally struck by car saved 2 kids

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A crossing guard who died after being hit by a vehicle in Kansas City, Kansas, saved the lives of two children before the impact, a school principal said.

The guard was struck early Tuesday near Christ the King Parish School in Kansas City, Kansas, and died later at a hospital. His name wasn’t immediately released pending notification of family members. No children were injured, police spokesman Jonathon Westbrook said.

Christ the King principal Cathy Fithian said two students were getting ready to cross the street when the guard yelled at them to stop, preventing them from being in the car’s path, The Kansas City Star .

“We teach our students at Christ the King to know that we are here to protect them and they need to listen,” Fithian said. “We’re just so blessed that he was there.”

The guard always put the children first, and some students had given him gifts for Valentine’s Day, she said.

The man, who was hired through the city, retired from a different career before becoming a crossing guard in 2015, Unified Government spokesman Dave Reno said.

“I offer my deepest sympathies to the family of the Crossing Guard, and I offer our gratitude on behalf of our residents for his selfless sacrifice in protecting our children,” Mayor/CEO David Alvey said in a news release.

The driver of a black sedan that hit the guard was taken to a hospital.

The investigation is continuing.