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In an act of selfless heroism, a Maryland police officer whisked a middle school student from the path of an oncoming car, a split-second before being struck herself.
The entire incident, which occurred early Friday morning, was caught on video and uploaded to Facebook by Cecil County Executive Danielle Hornberger. The heroic act quickly went viral across multiple social media platforms.
Corporal Annette Goodyear, from the North East Police Department, is seen waving the young student into the clear crosswalk, when, out of nowhere, appears the speeding car. The road was wet, though it’s not clear if this was a factor in the accident.
HERO COP: A Maryland police officer was hailed for her heroic actions, narrowly pushing a student out of the path of a moving car that failed to stop at the crosswalk.
The officer was treated for her injuries and later released from the hospital. https://t.co/Lw2x7USe7z pic.twitter.com/lyhDj6CPaY
— ABC News (@ABC) February 6, 2022
Goodyear’s instant impulse to push the child out of the way was instinctive and likely prevented a tragedy, but for a crossing guard of 14 years, it was all a bit surreal.
“It was strange,” Goodyear told Washington D.C.’s Fox 5 News. “As I’m lying there, I’m thinking to myself, ‘this actually did happen.’ I didn’t even know what to think about at that point. It didn’t seem real as it was happening.”
“For me, I’m a parent as well, and it’s like, I just want to make sure all these children are safe, and it didn’t matter if I was struck or not,” Goodyear said.
It’s a commitment Goodyear honors, on and off duty.
Following her release from the hospital, the officer, who heard the girl was understandably shaken from the event, stopped by the student’s home to be certain she was all right.
“She came down the stairs, saw me standing there, and as she was walking toward the door, she was getting teary-eyed,” Goodyear said of the visit. “And you could see it, and when she got teary-eyed, then her dad started getting teary-eyed, and we all started at that point. I was just so thankful she was standing there and that she was okay.”
“It was an amazing act of heroism,” County Executive Danielle Hornberger told Fox 5. “Truly, that is what we envision of to protect and serve. That’s what we want in our community, and it’s just humbling; it’s breathtaking; it’s amazing, and we’re just so proud to have Corporal Goodyear in our community.”
On Twitter, praise for the police officer, who said expressed her thanks for her community’s support, came pouring in.
“Another Hero who doesn’t wear a cape!!” tweeted one user.
Another Hero who doesn’t wear a cape!! Thankfully this officer reacted in that instant to protect the student! Wishing her a Quick recovery! https://t.co/TPjM6RnBKn
— Dennis Mitchell (@DennMitch) February 6, 2022
The sentiment was echoed over and over again, in multiple languages, with plenty of love for our men and women in Blue to go around.
Hero! https://t.co/jcbtwvRipP
— DianeR 🌊⛱✈⚖✡ (@DianeR0960) February 6, 2022
God Bless all of our Policemen and Policewomen!! https://t.co/22zinSKaHm
— Janice Glitt (@JaniceGlitt) February 6, 2022
HERO COP:メリーランド州の警察官が、横断歩道で止まらなかった走行中の車の進路から、危うく生徒を押し出すという英雄的行動をとり、称賛されました。
この警察官はケガの手当を受け、その後退院しました。 https://t.co/FYfFpDJ7iG
— SUPIKE (@SUPIKE0525) February 6, 2022
What a hero. This student could've been badly injured if it wasn't for this amazing person. ❤ https://t.co/lK11PPGhLr
— Tian El📎WeResistedWeWon (@Tian_El) February 6, 2022
According to the Cecil County Sheriff’s Office, the driver of the vehicle received four citations, including negligent driving and failure to stop at a yield sign before entering a crosswalk. While it is clear from the video that the roads were wet from rain, it is unknown if inclement weather played a role in the event.
Goodyear said she had never, in her lengthy career, experienced an incident such as this one.
On Twitter, while calls for the driver to be harshly punished are plenty, most are just thankful the student and her rescuer are both going to be okay.
This driver should have her license suspended for a period of 90 days minimum. This crash would remain on her driving record for the rest of her life. That was beyond stupid and irresponsible. It's a good thing the officer and the little girl are okay. https://t.co/hXB2joeb2d
— Thom Bradley (@ThomBradley8) February 6, 2022
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