FAYETTE COUNTY, Ga. — The family and friends of a school crossing guard say he was hit by a car while doing his job.
David Spatz, affectionately known as “Mr. Dave,” was hit Monday morning outside Kedron Elementary School in Fayette County.
“He smiles and wave to everybody, and everybody loves him,” parent Andrea Stein told Channel 2’s Tom Regan. “It’s terrible and it’s tragic and we’re praying for him.”
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
Parents like Stein were stunned by the crash that critically injured Spatz. The 74-year-old crossing guard was guiding kids and parents across the street when a driver hit him and sent him flying over the car’s hood.
“There’s a fractured skull, he has some brain bleeds, he doesn’t know what happened,” said parent James Clifton, who has been in contact with the crossing guard’s wife at Grady Memorial Hospital.
“Mr. Dave is a beloved part of the Kedron family. From what I understand some of the kids actually witness the incident,” Clifton told Regan.
Regan also spoke with another crossing guard, Rich Winiarski, about the risks of their jobs.
“Have you had any close calls?“ Regan asked.
“Yes, almost everyday,” he said.
Winiarski says speeding drivers are a constant threat in school zones.
A Channel 2 Action News recently conducted an investigation with our Cox Media Group sister stations and the Associated Press. 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. Massachusetts and New Jersey are the only states that keep track of crossing guards hit every year, and no one tracks the total nationwide.
As for Mr. Dave, the community is now rallying around him and his wife. A GoFundMe has been set up to help with the medical expenses. It has raised more than $15,000.
“It’s so sad to see something like this happen to him, so we’re trying everything we can do to support his family,” Clifton said.
Peachtree City police said the driver who hit Mr. Dave stopped to help. Police did not say if the driver will be cited or charged.
RELATED STORIES:
- Hundreds of school crossing guards hit by cars. There are likely many more
- Crossing guards face life-threatening dangers on the job
©2026 Cox Media Group
