(NJ) A Burlington City crossing guard was killed while 'heroically' protecting children
A South Jersey school crossing guard was fatally injured while protecting two students Friday morning, police said.
Burlington City resident Bruce Morlack, 74, "heroically took action" to prevent two city students from being hit by a car at a marked crosswalk on Jacksonville Road at James Street, according to Burlington City police.
The students were not injured in the 7:20 a.m. accident not far from Burlington City High School and St. Paul Parochial School, said a letter to the community on the school district's website.
The letter said Morlack was taken to a Trenton hospital in critical condition. Police announced his death at about 6 p.m.
"We are incredibly grateful for the crossing guard's efforts to ensure our students made it safely across the street," said the letter, which was written before Morlack's death.
One local mother described Morlack as “beloved” and recalled how he would play his silver harmonica to entertain children waiting to be escorted across the road.
“The beautiful melodies would fill the atmosphere, making the waiting in the heavy traffic endurable,” Rosalind Redd wrote in an email.
The accident scene was not far from Burlington City High School and St. Paul Parochial School.
The district's letter — over the signatures of Superintendent of Schools John Russell and the district's school safety specialist, James Flynn — also urged motorists "to exercise heightened caution when driving near schools and to remain alert for students crossing the street."
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