Crossing Guard Is Hit by Car

A Fullerton crossing guard was struck and seriously injured by a car Thursday morning on a stretch of road that school officials have long considered a safety hazard for children.

Officials said Margarita Garcia, 52, suffered a broken leg and elbow when an unlicensed teenage driver barreled through the crosswalk at Valencia Drive and Basque Avenue.

The crosswalk was created in September to improve safety around Pacific Drive Elementary School. Accidents are uncommon at the intersection, but school officials and parents had expressed concern because so many young children cross there and drivers tend to speed in the area.

“It’s kind of ironic,” said Principal Linda Moser. “The community was so concerned with letting children cross on their own, they put a crossing guard there.”

Police said they are likely to cite the driver, a 17-year-old Fullerton High School student, for driving without a license and failing to yield at a crosswalk. They are also considering citing his parents for allowing him to drive unlawfully, said Fullerton Police Sgt. Neal Baldwin.

Garcia was helping children cross the street, holding a stop sign over her head, when she was struck. Baldwin said the youth said he tried to stop but his foot slipped off the brake and onto the accelerator.

Garcia was knocked onto the hood and shattered the windshield. No children were injured, but several saw the accident and were shaken.

“Some children were weepy because they have grown very fond of her,” Moser said of Garcia. “The children love her. She is friendly, very nice. She takes the time to talk to them.”

The accident comes at a time of heightened concern for the safety of crossing guards statewide. Drivers struck two Santa Ana crossing guards last year, and similar accidents have occurred in Newport Beach and Orange.

Assemblyman Lou Correa (D-Anaheim) recently co-authored legislation that would provide $10 million for hiring and training of more crossing guards. Last year in Santa Ana, police stepped up enforcement against drivers who fail to yield for crossing guards.