Crossing guard in fair condition; parents protest for change


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ROY — Richard Pritchett, a 70-year-old elementary school crossing guard, was upgraded to fair condition Friday, one day after being struck by a car while on the job.

Parents protested outside Roy Elementary School Friday, seeking changes to the road where the car hit Pritchett and trying to gain attention from drivers and the state.

"Make a better crosswalk, whether it's a light here or a bridge over the street so our kids are safe every time," said Nicole Christiansen, a concerned parent. "The state needs to do something. They need to step up, and somebody shouldn't have to lose their life for us to get safety for our kids."

Parents and crossing guards say the first thing they want is the drivers to slow down on this busy road.

The school zone speed limit is 20, but parents say people are going over that limit.

Wendy Gray, a crossing guard for almost 20 years in Roy City, got a reminder of how tough her job is when a car hit and injured her colleague Thursday.

"We can only do so much to keep ourselves safe," Gray said. "We can, you know, control our actions, but we can't control the actions of the vehicles."

The Utah Department of Transportation said they would take a closer look at the road and determine if changes need to be made.

Richard Pritchett had walked out into his crosswalk Thursday morning to stop traffic to allow students to walk to Roy Elementary School, when an eastbound vehicle traveling about 20 mph hit him.

Pritchett was thrown up onto the windshield and then was hit by a front tire as he rolled off the vehicle, according to police. He was taken to McKay-Dee Hospital Center in critical condition and his condition improved as he was treated.

As of Friday, the female driver in her 20s had not been cited. Police were investigating whether the bright morning sun or distracted driving were factors in the accident.

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Pat Reavy

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