On Monday at 3:35 p.m., 80‑year‑old Jean Schultz was hit by a car while guiding two children across the busy McBride and Lackawanna Avenue intersection in Woodland Park, New Jersey. The siblings, one a local student, suffered non‑life‑threatening injuries and were taken to Saint Joseph’s University Medical Center, where Schultz was later pronounced dead. Witnesses said the driver failed to yield, sparking a police review.

Schultz had served the Woodland Park School District since 2022, earning praise for her cheerful demeanor. Her death joins a nationwide toll: an AP‑WSOC investigation found 230 crossing guards were hit by vehicles over the past decade, with roughly three dozen fatalities. New Jersey alone recorded 16 guard deaths from 1993‑2016, underscoring persistent safety gaps on school routes.

Mayor Tracy Kallert called Schultz “a kind and gentle soul,” while local officials referred the incident to the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office for investigation. The tragedy reignited calls for stronger traffic‑control measures at school crossings, a debate already active among municipalities that pay guards $7.25‑$20 an hour. Community vigils highlighted the human cost of inadequate road safety for the town as well.