GAINESVILLE, Ga. - A crossing guard at North Hall High School is being treated at a local hospital after she was hit by a vehicle involved in a wreck. Now, 11Alive has learned that the wreck may have been caused by a distracted driver.
According to Hall County Schools, the guard, 21-year-old Lauren Parr, was directing traffic out of the school parking lot around 3:45 p.m.
The Georgia State Patrol said Parr motioned for oncoming traffic to stop in order to let cars off school property and into the roadway. But GSP said 50-year-old Lanier Dudley was distracted by his cell phone and did not see Parr's directive to stop.
PHOTOS | North Hall cross guard hit by car
As a result, GSP said Dudley hit by the left side of a Jeep as it exited school grounds causing that vehicle to spin and hit the crossing guard. The impact threw Parr 10 to 15 feet from the center turn lane.
Hall County EMS took Parr to Northeast Georgia Medical Center with serious injuries. Neither of the drivers was seriously hurt. GSP said charges are pending, and the investigation is ongoing.
School system spokesperson Gordon Higgins said the crossing guard worked with EKG, a company the schools contract with to help with traffic and security. This is the school system's first time using the company and also the first time, Higgins said, that they've ever had a crossing guard injured this seriously.
