Principal Says Crossing Guard, 88, Died Saving 2 Kids

An 88-year-old crossing guard who died after being hit by a vehicle in Kansas City, Kansas, saved the lives of two children before the impact, a school principal says. Bob Nill, who the Washington Post reports was known affectionately as "Mr. Bob" to his young charges, was struck early Tuesday near Christ the King Parish School and died later at a hospital, the AP reports. No children were injured, police spokesman Jonathon Westbrook says. Christ the King principal Cathy Fithian said two students were getting ready to cross the street when Nill yelled at them to stop, preventing them from being in the car's path.

"We teach our students at Christ the King to know that we are here to protect them and they need to listen," Fithian tells the Kansas City Star. "We’re just so blessed that he was there." Nill always put the children first, and some students had given him gifts for Valentine's Day, she says. Nill, who was hired through the city, retired from a different career before becoming a crossing guard in 2015, Unified Government spokesman Dave Reno says. In a statement, Mayor David Alvey thanked Nill for his "selfless sacrifice in protecting our children." The driver of a black sedan that hit the guard was taken to a hospital. Police say they are investigating whether the driver was speeding.

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