An 88-year-old crossing guard has been hailed a hero after he died saving two children from being hit by a speeding car.
Bob Nill, affectionately referred to as ‘Mr Bob’ by the community in which he worked in Kansas City, Kansas, was struck by a black sedan outside Christ the King Catholic School on Tuesday morning, February 18.
He was working his regular morning shift before school started for the day when the crossing guard noticed the speeding car heading towards two young boys, who had just stepped into the road.
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Bob motioned for the two boys, who were in third and fifth grade, to step back while he remained in the centre of the road, holding his large red ‘Stop’ sign as he usually would.
It was then the crossing guard was hit by the vehicle, leaving Bob in critical condition. He was immediately transported to a local hospital but tragically later died from his injuries.
The 88-year-old has been hailed a hero by his local community for saving the lives of the two boys, who might have continued crossing the road if it wasn’t for Bob’s quick thinking.
Kansas City Mayor David Alvey thanked Bob ‘on behalf of our residents for his selfless sacrifice in protecting our children’, as per The Washington Post. Christ the King Catholic School also issued a statement to parents, asking them ‘to know that Mr Nill is a hero’.
Bob had worked as a crossing guard since 2015, the school’s principal Cathy Fithian said. Although he had retired by that point, he took up the role because he wanted to help children get to school safely.
The principal said:
He obviously dedicated his life for kids to be safe and he would want people to protect our children. If we can’t protect our children, then what are we doing?
Police spokesperson Jonathon Westbrook said while the official cause of the fatal crash has not yet been determined, officers do not believe the driver was intoxicated. Distracted driving is a more likely cause, he said.
And while he could not confirm whether the driver – who remained at the scene – was speeding, Fithian said numerous witnesses believed the car was travelling well over the 20mph speed limit of the school zone.
Police said the driver had also been transported to the hospital with injuries, and the investigation is ongoing.
Our thoughts are with Bob’s loved ones at this difficult time. Rest in peace Bob.
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A Broadcast Journalism Masters graduate who went on to achieve an NCTJ level 3 Diploma in Journalism, Lucy has done stints at ITV, BBC Inside Out and Key 103. While working as a journalist for UNILAD, Lucy has reported on breaking news stories while also writing features about mental health, cervical screening awareness, and Little Mix (who she is unapologetically obsessed with).