What to Know
- A school crossing guard who was struck and killed by a dump truck in Queens in October was posthumously promoted Thursday during an NYPD ceremony.
- School crossing guard Krystyna Naprawa posthumously received the rank of Community Coordinator.
- The 63-year-old was on duty near the intersection of Atlantic Avenue and Woodhaven Boulevard in the Woodhaven neighborhood on Oct. 20, 2023 and had just helped five people cross the busy street when, moments later, she was hit by the truck making a right turn just after 8 a.m. killing her instantly.
A school crossing guard who was struck and killed by a dump truck in Queens in October was posthumously promoted Thursday during an NYPD ceremony.
School crossing guard Krystyna Naprawa posthumously received the rank of Community Coordinator. The 63-year-old was on duty near the intersection of Atlantic Avenue and Woodhaven Boulevard in the Woodhaven neighborhood on Oct. 20, 2023 and had just helped five people cross the busy street when, moments later, she was hit by the truck making a right turn just after 8 a.m. killing her instantly.
"She always said that she was happy doing her job, she loved the kids," said local resident Stephanie Peppel. "She’d give us hugs, tell everybody to be careful she was always concerned about my family."
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The dump truck driver remained at the scene and was later arrested, as 39-year-old Hector Yepes was charged with failure to yield right of way to a pedestrian and failure to use due care. He was not held by police.
Visibility was poor across New York City the morning of the tragic incident because of rainy, cloudy conditions, though it was not clear if weather played any sort of role.
Naprawa – who moved to the U.S. from Poland — served as a NYPD crossing guard for 13 years. Officers escorted her body for a dignified transfer to the city medical examiner’s office.
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While Naprawa loved her job, a friend said she also voiced concerns about reckless drivers ignoring her.
"She [was] somebody who don’t complain, but she was like if they would pass – these people have no respect for you," said friend Kamal Deolall.
Naprawa was the first New York City school crossing guard to die on duty in 2023, according to her union.
Naprawa's promotion was made during a One Police Plaza ceremony attended by family, friends, and colleagues. Additionally, aside from announced her promotion, NYPD executives also announced enhanced training, the distribution of new safety equipment, and updated policies and procedures for the police department’s more-than-2,200 school crossing guards.
