Lindenwold crossing guard is hailed as hero
It was around 3 p.m. on the first day of school last year when Lindenwold crossing guard Carol Saler spotted ninth grader Galilea Leiva preparing to cross Gibbsboro Road carrying tennis rackets.
It was around 3 p.m. on the first day of school last year when Lindenwold crossing guard Carol Saler spotted ninth grader Galilea Leiva preparing to cross Gibbsboro Road carrying tennis rackets.
As Saler made her way into the middle of the street to halt traffic, she noticed that a car was not stopping. She knew she had to act quickly.
She pushed the girl out of the car's path, but was struck herself, suffering whiplash and bruising, and requiring months of physical therapy.
On Wednesday evening, at a Borough Council meeting, Lindenwold officials commended the 54-year-old for her bravery.
"She went above and beyond, obviously. I think it was instinctive for her to save the child vs. running out of the way for herself," Police Chief Thomas Brennan said.
Galilea called Saler "a hero for saving me, and without her, I wouldn't have been here."
Saler, a crossing guard for more than two years, who came to the meeting with her husband and two sons, said she felt "humbled, grateful, and embarrassed" all at the same time.
"I just don't feel like I deserve this, honestly," she said. "I'm happy for her [Galilea], that she's OK. That was my main concern through the whole thing."
While appreciating the recognition, she said, she was only doing her job.
"I don't feel like a hero, like a firefighter jumping into a fire," she said. "It was just a reaction to the situation."
Saler said she did not fall when she was struck that September day. The car was slow-moving, she recalls. And as bystanders rushed to help, Saler remembers being more concerned about the well-being of the student than her own.
"I kept saying, 'Is she OK? Is she OK?', because I knew I pushed her hard," she said.
Galilea fell to the ground, but was not injured.
Saler said she sympathized with the driver, a senior citizen.
"At the time, I was mad, but I kind of felt bad for her because she was very upset," Saler said. "I know she didn't purposely hit me. She said she didn't see me. She was very shaken up, feeling bad for me."
According to Officer Andy Tweedley, the woman was charged with careless driving.
Maggie Leiva, Galilea's mother, said she feels blessed because Saler was there to protect her daughter that afternoon.
"I'm really thankful that she saved my daughter's life on that day," Leiva said.
Saler said she tries to be a positive presence for the parents and students she sees every day, always smiling and saying hello.
Leiva said Saler often goes above and beyond her duties as a crossing guard. "She's like a second mom to all of them," Leiva said.
After the accident, Saler was out from work until late October. Crossing guard George Coppinger stood in for Saler while she was gone, and he said parents and children would constantly ask about her.
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