Gardner Edgerton School District crossing guard dies after being hit by car
GARDNER, Kan. March 9 2023 A Gardner School District crossing guard who was hit on the job less than two weeks ago has died.
“He’s just somebody we just always expected to be there, every day putting a smile on everyone’s face, someone that’s a part of the community,” Jennifer Cusick, who is a middle school teacher in Gardner, said.
For years, the expectation was to see Dave Peavy when passing Madison and Buckeye here in Gardner Kansas.
“When you drove by, he’d just wave at you, salute you, and just someone that would put a smile on your face,” Cusick said.
It was a normal morning as Peavy was waving as parents dropped off their kids.
Just before 8 a.m., a driver hit Peavy. The driver said the sun got in his eyes and he never saw the crossing guard.
A Facebook page dedicated to the late crossing guard has amassed more than 1,000 followers.
In the group, Peavy’s grandson says his grandfather was a Vietnam veteran who liked to collect things and a man who loved to tell jokes.
But he says above all else, his grandfather’s greatest hobby was making the people around him smile.
“It’s a real big loss to the community. I know there’s a lot of people that were hoping that he would make a recovery. It’s really terrible for the family, both families, both parties involved.”
