MOORESVILLE, Ind. — As more Indiana students head back to class, safety is top priority for many parents, teachers and staff.
That also includes crossing guards. One Mooresville crossing guard is warning drivers to slow down after she was hit by a car back in May.
Lorie Cox has been a crossing guard with the Mooresville Police Department for two years. She helps students and parents cross North Monroe Street in front of Newby Elementary School.
"It's rewarding but also hard," Cox said. "I can probably count on both hands how many times a week I almost get hit."
"Texting is the thing I see most," Cox said. "If you can come out into the road with your sign and you don't see the person looking back at you, that's not a good sign."
But her job came to an unexpected stop on May 17, when she was hit by a car while helping people cross the street.
"I was crossing my very last person of the day," Cox said. "Told my people they were good to go and soon as that happened, someone hit me."
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Cox was hit by a car at 4:30 p.m., in a school zone, at a crosswalk in front of Newby Elementary, just across from Morgan Street.
"So I have a bone bruise from that, from my femur. I have a broken ankle and a broken heel from where my foot either went under the vehicle or hit the ground," Cox said. "I had chest bruising; my ribs were bruised. Several bruises, road rash through everywhere else."
Police said the driver stayed on scene while Cox was rushed to the hospital. She now faces a long road to physical recovery – not to mention her mental recovery.
"I have anxiety crossing any road now," Cox said. "It's very emotional. I've not crossed this road at all. This is the closest I've came since May."
She's not alone. Last year, there were at least two incidents where crossing guards were hit while trying to make sure students stayed safe.
Cox's hope now is that drivers will slow down and that this doesn't happen to anyone else.
"Slow down. Keep your eyes up on the road; you never know if a little kid is going to jump right out and run into the road, and we have to jump into the roadway to make sure nothing happens. Just be alert," Cox said.
Cox said she may not fully heal until the spring and that she is hesitant on returning to the job. Mooresville Police told 13News that the town is currently looking at improving the safety of several streets in Mooresville.