Drunken Driver Kills Crossing Guard, Police Say

A crossing guard was struck and killed by a drunken driver moments after helping a mother and child cross the street, Dallas police said.

The incident happened at about 8:30 a.m. Tuesday in the 1300 block of South Denley Drive near Roger Mills Elementary School.

The car's impact sent the 72-year-old crossing guard, Franklin Delano Lester, into a utility pole, a witness said.

The driver, who was identified as Peter Nelson, ended up slamming into Lester's parked vehicle, police said. Nelson was transported to Methodist Hospital, where he was listed in critical condition.

Dallas police said an investigation revealed Nelson was intoxicated at the time of the crash. He has been charged with intoxication manslaughter.

Lester was first hired as a school crossing guard in 1999. He left after working for one year and was rehired in 2005. 

The city of Dallas took control of school crossing guards from the school districts in the late 1940s, and based on records found, this appears to be the first fatality accident, said Dallas police spokesman Kevin Janse.

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