A school crossing guard was struck and killed by a dump truck in Queens on Friday, police said.
The 63-year-old crossing guard, later identified as Krystyna Naprawa, was on duty near the intersection of Atlantic Avenue and Woodhaven Boulevard in the Woodhaven neighborhood and had just helped five people cross the busy street.
Moments later, she was hit by the truck making a right turn just after 8 a.m., police said, 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."
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. The crash is under investigation.
Visibility was poor across New York City Friday morning because of rainy, cloudy conditions, though it was not clear if weather played any sort of role.
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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 is the first New York City school crossing guard to die on duty this year, and the third in a month to be involved in an accident, according to her union.
An investigation is ongoing.
