From 1993 through May of this year, 19 New Jersey crossing guards lost their lives shepherding children to and from school after being hit by drivers who either ignored or were oblivious to their directions to come to a stop. Overall, more than 390 other crossing guards were injured on the job as a result of motor vehicle accidents during the same period, according to the state Department of Health.
In just the last three years, three school crossing guards were killed and nine others injured in cities and towns across New Jersey, according to the latest data compiled by the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development.
“It’s one of the most dangerous jobs in municipal government,” said Sean Meehan, research project manager for the New Jersey Safe Routes to School Resource Center at the Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center at Rutgers University. “We see a lot of bad behavior.”