Long Island crossing guards reflect on the dangers of the job after John Miro killed in Merrick crash
Donna Partland keeps a watchful eye on the intersection of Oceanside Road and Windsor Parkway in Oceanside. Credit: Newsday/Howard Schnapp
One crossing guard said a car nearly hit her while she had her back to the sidewalk. Another said she was lucky a vehicle stepped on the brakes at the last second, stopping inches away from her.
These are just a couple of the close calls Long Island crossing guards said they have faced while shepherding some of the Island’s tiniest residents — as well as their parents, their grandparents and even their pets.
“We all know how crazy people drive on Long Island, how aggressive they are, how much they speed in local neighborhoods,” said Terry Maccarrone, president of the Suffolk Association of Municipal Employees, which represents the county's crossing guards. “They [crossing guards] are the first line of defense, and they are not appreciated for it.”
The dangers crossing guards face on the job have been brought home in recent weeks, after Merrick guard John Miro was struck by a driver allegedly under the influence of drugs on Feb. 26. Authorities have said Miro, 70, had just helped students cross the busy intersection of Sunrise Highway and Merrick Avenue when a pickup truck hit him, leaving him in critical condition.
Miro died a week later, on March 6.
An investigation by the Associated Press and Cox Media Group last year determined that crossing guards are among "the top fifth of deadliest jobs," along with flaggers. The investigation found that 230 crossing guards were struck in the last 10 years across 37 states and Washington, D.C. Nearly three dozen died.
Locally, Suffolk police said six crossing guards have been hit on the job since 2022, none fatally. Similar numbers were not available for Nassau.
“It can become a very dangerous situation very quickly and luckily we have folks like Mr. Miro who took time out of his day to come in and make sure he protected the kids that we entrust all our crossing guards with,” said Kris Kalender, the president of CSEA Local 830, which represents Nassau guards and other works.
'It's a little scary out there'
About 880 unionized crossing guards on the Island escort pedestrians across intersections near schools. They also assist at parades, festivals, marathons and other public events.
Guards often work in punishing weather conditions, from frigid temperatures to sweltering heat.
The pay ranges from about $20 per hour for a substitute crossing guard with no medical benefits to $18 for a permanent, part-time position with benefits in Suffolk, according to Donnalee Morris, president of the Crossing Guards Unit, which falls under Suffolk Association of Municipal Employees union. In Nassau, part-time guards earn about $30 hourly without benefits, according to Nassau police.
Donna Partland, president of crossing guards unit at the larger CSEA Local 830 union, said many guards juggle multiple jobs to make ends meet.
Partland, who works in Oceanside, said she was aware of at least three crossing guards in Nassau who have been struck and injured since 2019.
She said she has averted several near misses, often feeling the wind from cars barreling past her.
“It’s a little scary out there...Who's going to run that light or not listen to us?" she said.
Beverly Avgeros, 74, retired about a year and a half ago after working as a crossing guard for 19 years, mostly in Hauppauge and Central Islip.
“Once someone stopped right at my knee because they said they didn’t see me,” she said. She added, “It’s a combination of things that makes your heart palpitate."
Distracted drivers
Advocates for Long Island crossing guards says distracted drivers pose the biggest threat to their members. Speeding is also an issue.
“It is just so simple, pay attention when you are driving and slow down," Morris said.
Crossing guards must also contend with aggressive motorists rushing to get to their destination and showing little patience for anything that gets in the way. Advocates said they have been cursed at, honked at and more.
Morris and Partland, her counterpart in Nassau, said infrastructure fixes like repainting crosswalks, adding stop signs and making "No Right Turn on Red” signs more visible could help as well.
Partland said wide intersections like Sunrise Highway, Hempstead Turnpike and Peninsula Boulevard should be manned by two crossing guards. Partland also said that in the winter, snow piled near curbs needs to be cleared for easier access to sidewalks.
For Partland, the job of a crossing guard is a labor of love. She said no matter how many hours per week she works, she takes the job to heart.
"We'll jump in front of the kids to save them, whether they're on scooters, bikes...we do everything we can. We don't just stand there," she said.
Lorena Mongelli has been reporting for Newsday since 2021. Prior to that, she covered breaking news at the New York Post.
