ROY, Utah — A crossing guard remains in the hospital a week after being hit in a devastating crash while on the job at an intersection in Roy.
"I’m glad that 7 broken bones and a flight through the air was as bad as it got for me,” said Kate McLean.
McLean has been a crossing guard at the intersection at 4300 West and 5500 South for a couple of years.
"We know these kids, they’re our kids, too,” she said.
McLean didn’t see how the accident happened, only knowing that a car hit her when she was at the corner.
"I was standing there with my back to it and I hear Lilly call my name, and I turn around to see this large vehicle coming straight at me, I didn’t even have time to react,” McLean added.
Lilly Shearer, her friend and fellow crossing guard, said Kate is a “wonderful person and mother. She'll go above and beyond for anybody that she meets, and becomes friends with."
In her past three years as a crossing guard at the intersection, Shearer has seen drivers become more aggressive.
“This is a busy intersection,” she said, adding that she wants to see the location marked as a school zone with lower speeds.
"One thing I wish we had is dedicated turn lights," Shearer added, "so cars weren’t trying to rush through the lights when it’s turning to get through."
However, both women know it's ultimately up to drivers to help keep kids safe.
"Even if it’s not a school zone, and you see a crosswalk and there’s crossing guards, and kids,” said Shearer, “just slow down."
"People just need to open their eyes, they need to slow down, they need to be more aware, they need to pay attention,” McLean said.
As of Saturday, McLean still can’t move her right arm and both legs, and has months of in-patient rehab ahead. She has four children and two stepchildren, with her youngest being just 13 months old.
“I’ve never not held my daughter for more than a day, and we're going on 9 days,” she said. “I think that’s the hardest part."
McLean is grateful to be alive and that no kids were hurt during the crash. The identity of the driver of the vehicle that struck her is not known, as is whether they will face any charges.
"I was standing on the sidewalk, on the clock, doing my job," she said. "I wasn’t even in the crosswalk, and even that’s not safe."
A support page has been created to help McLean and her family, with any donations being used to help them while she remains hospitalized and throughout her recovery.
