PESHTIGO, Wis. — An 82-year-old crossing guard is being praised for pushing two girls to safety before being hit Friday morning by an SUV in Peshtigo.
Gail Bantes is described by her family as a woman dedicated to watching out for children and helping to keep them safe.
“I give her a lot of credit, a lot of strength,” Peshtigo Police Chief Rick Badgley told ABC affiliate WBAY. “She’s very devoted to what she does. She always has been, and she always will be.”
Badgley says the driver who struck Bantes did get cited, telling officers glare from the sun prevented her from seeing people in the crosswalk.
Drivers are asked to pay attention going through intersections, especially with the ice and snow piles.
“You’re always going to have blind intersections. Slow down, watch at intersections, because if you can’t see them, they can’t see you,” said Badgley.
Bantes is one of two crossing guards employed by the city. Another volunteer has taken her place while she recovers in the hospital.
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