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Crossing guard cop hailed as hero after pushing middle schooler clear of car careening through crosswalk — and then getting hit herself: 'It didn't seem real'
Image source: Twitter video screenshot, composite via @DrJalawson

Crossing guard cop hailed as hero after pushing middle schooler clear of car careening through crosswalk — and then getting hit herself: 'It didn't seem real'

A Maryland police officer who was serving as a crossing guard Friday morning is being hailed as a hero after she pushed a middle school girl clear of a car that was careening through a crosswalk — and then getting hit herself.

What are the details?

In the surveillance video clip of the incident, Cpl. Annette Goodyear of the North East Police Department was seen raising her hand to stop traffic as a North East Middle School student approached the crosswalk, WJZ-TV reported.

Image source: Twitter video screenshot via @DrJalawson

But despite Goodyear and the student being right in the middle of the road in the crosswalk, an oncoming car didn't stop.

Image source: Twitter video screenshot via @DrJalawson

With that, Goodyear pushed the young girl clear of the car — and then is seen to be hit herself, WTTG-TV reported.

Image source: Twitter video screenshot via @DrJalawson

Just afterward, Goodyear was lying on the street as a number of people, including the driver, rushed over to her.

Image source: Twitter video screenshot via @DrJalawson

The girl landed on her hands and knees after Goodyear's push but got up right away.

Here's the clip:

'It didn't seem real'

Goodyear was taken to a hospital with minor injuries and was later discharged, WJZ said.

"It was strange," she later shared with WTTG. "As I’m lying there I’m thinking to myself this actually did happen. I didn’t even know what to think about at that point. It didn’t seem real as it was happening."

Goodyear — who's been a crossing guard for 14 years — added to the station that "I’m a parent as well, and it’s like I just want to make sure all these children are safe, and it didn’t matter if I was struck or not."

After leaving the hospital, Goodyear went back to the school to check on the student she rescued from harm's way but was told she was shaken up and went back home to be with her family, WTTG said

So the corporal thought she would stop by the student's house to check on her, the station said.

"She came down the stairs, saw me standing there, and as she was walking toward the door she was getting teary-eyed, and you could see it, and when she got teary-eyed, then her dad started getting teary-eyed, and we all started at that point," Goodyear recounted to the WTTG. "I was just so thankful she was standing there, and that she was OK."

'We’re just extremely proud of her actions'

Cpl. John Fakner of the North East Police Department told WJZ that "we’re just extremely proud of her actions. It was a split-second reaction that saved a child from potential injury. A job well done.”

Cecil County Executive Danielle Hornberger told the station she's spoken with North East Mayor Michael Kline, and the town is “already working on commendations for her bravery and swift action!”

"It was an amazing act of heroism," Hornberger added to WTTG. "Truly that is what we envision [when we think of] ... protect and serve. That’s what we want in our community, and it’s just humbling; it's breathtaking; it’s amazing, and we’re just so proud to have Corporal Goodyear in our community."

What happened to the driver?

The driver was cited for negligent driving, failure to stop at yield sign before entering crosswalk, failure to stop for pedestrian in crosswalk, and driving with an expired registration plate, Lt. Michael Holmes, a spokesperson for the Cecil County Sheriff’s Office, told WJZ.

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