For seven long months, Jeffery Smith has been away from the children he was devoted to protect.
The beloved school crossing guard, dedicated to his craft, was walking a student across a Decatur road in September when he was struck by a hit-and-run driver, according to authorities. Smith was hospitalized after the wreck and later recovered from home, Decatur police said.
On Monday, he was back doing what he loves, his smile almost as bright as his neon safety clothing.
“Welcome back, Mr. Jeffery!” Decatur police wrote on Facebook, while posting a photo of him back at work. “We are so happy to have him back helping students safely cross.”
On Sept. 11, police were called to the intersection of South Candler Street and East College Avenue about the crash, which happened as students were making their way to classes that Monday morning. The tight-knit community is home to several schools, including Agnes Scott College, Decatur High School and Beacon Hill Middle School.
According to authorities, Smith determined it was safe to walk the student across South Candler and went into the busy intersection. At that point, the driver of a red sedan turned right onto the road from East College and failed to yield, police said. The driver, identified as Alrahman Heath, is accused of leaving the scene after striking Smith.
The next day, Heath was arrested after officers found his vehicle in the 300 block of West Howard Avenue, about a mile from the crash site.
“Thank you to everyone who provided tips and information in this case, and especially to a very brave Decatur High School student who provided a detailed description of the suspect vehicle,” police said at the time.
Heath was booked into the DeKalb County jail on charges of hit-and-run and failure to yield to a pedestrian, according to online records. He was released Sept. 16, and records show his court case is still open.
Decatur police employ the city’s crossing guards, City Schools of Decatur spokesperson Courtney Burnett told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. On Monday, Smith was manning the same intersection where he was struck.
“(Smith) is extremely dedicated to keeping our kids safe here within the City of Decatur,” police said.
