A Maryland crossing guard is being hailed as a hero after she pushed a child out of harm’s way and got hit by a car that failed to stop. Corporal Annette Goodyear saved the child’s life outside a middle school in Chesapeake Bay in February 2022 when the incident happened. Surveillance footage showed just how brave and selfless she truly is.
- It’s not often a crossing guard gets run over. Their hi-vis jackets tend to alert drivers to the presence of children and the need to stop. However, Goodyear, of the North East Police Department, realized that wasn’t going to happen this time. She held out her hand to tell the driver to stop and the child began to cross. However, the car kept coming right toward them.
- Goodyear pushed the child out of the car’s path. While thankfully the child avoided being harmed, the vehicle still didn’t stop in time and ended up striking the crossing guard and knocking her down. Thankfully, while bruised and shaken, she was okay.
- The footage was shared online by Cecil County Executive Danielle Hornberger. She expressed gratitude not only for Goodyear’s bravery but her quick thinking. “Gratitude and prayers to Corporal Annette Goodyear from the North East Police Department for her heroism in saving this NEMS student this morning,” Hornberger wrote. “I just spoke with Mayor Kline. The town of North East is already working on commendations for her bravery and swift action!”
- Goodyear later told The Washington Post that the incident “didn’t seem real” and that it all happened so quickly that it became a blur. “It took me a few seconds to realize that this did just happen,” she shared. “I just remember laying on the ground and looking up, and the first thing I thought was ‘Where is the student?'” Goodyear added that the driver claimed that they “just didn’t see” her. They were cited for traffic violations including negligent driving.
It’s true that not all heroes wear capes!
