ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — A young boy told Channel 9's Nancy Alvarez that two school crossing guards saved his life, after a driver hit him and then fled.
Tyron Kohler, 8, is still recovering from injuries he received to his foot after a car slammed into him as he crossed Pershing Avenue on his way home from Ventura Elementary School in February.
"The car was coming really fast," Tyron said.
Investigators said a Cadillac was going at least 50 mph and Tyron could have been killed. But just moments before he stepped into the intersection, a crossing guard helped him put on a jacket. That same crossing guard, Jose Danoy, used the jacket to pull Tyron to safety.
More Information: School Crossing Guard Fact Sheet
"The car just comes from nowhere. It must have jumped the median," Danoy said.
"The kid literally spins around and falls in the same spot," crossing guard Carleen Rios said.
Rios was the other crossing guard who helped that day.
Investigators said the driver ran over Tyron's foot before speeding from the scene. The driver has not been found.
Tyron said it was scary when the car sped by, injuring him.
"When the ambulance left and the kid was OK, that's when I said, "OK, I can go into a corner now and cry," Rios said.
Both crossing guards were honored Monday by the Orange County Safe Kids Coalition.
They said for them the real reward is seeing Tyron every day as he walks home.
"What do you want to say to the crossing guards who helped you that day?" Alvarez asked Tyron.
"I want to say thank you, thank you very much and I really love them," Tyron said.
The Orange County Sheriff's Office runs the crossing guard program and it is constantly dealing with shortages. Right now they have 10 openings.
WFTV
