A Kansas City elementary school crossing guard is being hailed a hero after sacrificing his own life in order to save the lives of two young students.
According to Washington Post , 88-year-old Bob Nill was tragically killed by a speeding car while pulling the children out of the way of the vehicle’s path.
Nill, or “Mr. Bob”, as he was affectionately known in the community, was helping kids cross the street on the morning of February 18 when tragedy struck.
Stationed outside of Christ the King Catholic School, Nill noticed a black sedan speeding towards the group at the same time two young boys stepped off the curb and onto the road.
Despite the school zone’s flashing lights and Nill’s own big red sign, the car clearly wasn’t slowing down.
The crossing guard motioned for the boys to get back and held his own position in the middle of the road where he was struck by the speeding vehicle.
Nill was quickly transported to a local hospital in critical condition where he later died of his injuries, the Kansas City Police Department said in an official press release.
While waiting to hear news of their beloved crossing guard, all 260 staff and students at Christ the King stopped to pray to the rosary for Nill.
“Mr. Bob” was a friendly face for students, teachers, and parents, and was loved by everyone.
As the Post reported, he was always ready to greet the children with a supply of Russell Stover peppermints in his pocket. Just recently on Valentine’s Day, some of the students gifted Nill with a mug full of candy and a homemade card.
“He always thought about the kids more than himself,” Principal Cathy Fithian told the Kansas City Star . “We just want his family to know what a loving heart he had and the community to know what a blessing he was for our community.”
Nill had been working part time as a crossing guard for the school since 2015 after his wife’s death left him feeling lonely.
“It was the neatest thing in the world,” his son, Bart, told the Post of his dad’s new job. “It got him back on a schedule again, he got to sleep when he was supposed to — but it also allowed him to spend time with children again, because Dad, he just loved kids. You could sense that.”
In the aftermath of Nill’s death, members of the community are looking for a way to immortalize the hero who gave his life to save children.
Fithian said the students want to hold a fundraiser in his honor in the coming weeks. But right now, everyone’s just focused on mourning the loss of their beloved crossing guard.
The incident is currently under investigation. Police have determined the driver was not drunk at the time of the crash, though believe distracted driving was most likely the cause.
h/t: Washington Post , Kansas City Star
