Child, Crossing Guard Struck By Vehicle In South Jersey: Police

CLAYTON, NJ — A vehicle struck a child and a crossing guard Thursday afternoon in Gloucester County, resulting in the crossing guard's hospitalization, authorities said.

The incident occurred at around 2:45 p.m. in Clayton, at South Delsea Drive and Chestnut Street, the Clayton Police Department said. Officials took the crossing guard to Jefferson Hospital, where she remains in the ICU as of early Friday afternoon. The child, a Clayton School sixth-grader, sustained minor injuries and was turned over to her mother — they sought medical treatment on their own, police said.

Another sixth-grader narrowly dodged the vehicle — a 2014 white Dodge Durango driven by a 27-year-old Clayton resident — police said.

The vehicle knocked the crossing guard and impacted student several feet away from the collision, authorities said. The driver immediately stopped, tried to render aid and cooperated with the police investigation.

Police found no signs of impairment or criminal intent, ticketing the Durango operator for careless driving and failing to obey a school crossing guard. But the crash remains under investigation, and additional complaints may follow.

Authorities didn't publicly identify the driver.

The initial investigation revealed that the Durango was moving eastbound on West Chestnut Street, police said. The vehicle came to a complete stop at the intersection of Delsea Drive. The driver waited about 20 seconds for all vehicle traffic to clear on Delsea Drive, according to authorities.

During that period, the crossing guard entered the intersection along the northern crosswalk and "clearly" raised her stop paddle, police said. She began crossing two sixth-graders across the street. But the Durango turned left onto Delsea Drive and accelerated, striking both victims, according to law enforcement.

Anyone with additional information about the crash can contact the lead investigator, Clayton Police Sgt. Nicholas Carr, at ncarr@claytonnj.com.