Beloved school crossing guard hit by car now out of the hospital

FAYETTE COUNTY, Ga. — The family of a Fayette County Schools crossing guard who was hit by a car shared some good news this week.

David Spatz, affectionately known as “Mr. Dave,” is now home after he spent over a week at Grady Memorial Hospital.

Spatz, 74, was guiding kids and parents across the street outside Kedron Elementary School when a driver hit him and sent him flying over the car’s hood.

“Mr. Dave is a beloved part of the Kedron family. From what I understand some of the kids actually witness the incident,” parent James Clifton told Channel 2’s Tom Regan.

“He smiles and wave to everybody, and everybody loves him,” parent Andrea Stein told Regan.

Mr. Dave’s family said he had a fractured skull and brain bleeds. A GoFundMe to help the family with his medical bills and recovery has raised over $31,000.

A Channel 2 Action News recently conducted an investigation with our Cox Media Group sister stations and the Associated Press on the dangers crossing guards face on the job.

Our investigation found more than 225 crossing guards, including 19 in Georgia, have been hit over the last 10 years across the country. But there are likely many more as only two states keep track of the number of crossing guards hit every year.