A crossing guard in Utah stepped in front of a moving car to protect two children crossing the street.
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The Crossing Guard Said "Instinct" Took Over
As reported by PEOPLE, Tara Sandstrom was working at a school crosswalk in Lehi, Utah, when the harrowing incident took place on Sep. 16.
In the footage she captured, two children are riding scooters as they cross the street. Sandstrom has her stop sign raised.
A horn goes off before a white minivan that stopped at the intersection starts moving forward. Without any hesitation, the crossing guard rushes in front of the vehicle, puts herself between it and the children, and yells for the driver to stop. The driver complies.
"My instinct was simply to protect the kids and make sure everyone stayed safe," said Sandstrom.
She later added, "I felt immediate fear and concern because there were children still in the crosswalk and a vehicle was moving toward them."
The Clip Now Has 8 Million Views
Sandstrom posted footage of the incident on Instagram. It now has 8 million views. Users have left comments praising the crossing guard's quick thinking, calling her a "superwoman."
"I had my eyes on this vehicle throughout the crossing," she wrote in the caption. "As a crossing guard, my head is constantly on a swivel. I am watching the crosswalk, the vehicles immediately around me, and traffic approaching from both directions—including vehicles that may be coming from farther away or may not be obeying the school-zone rules."
She also wants drivers to remember that stopping at a crosswalk means staying stopped until the pedestrians are safely out.
"Please don't assume that because you're stopped, you can start creeping forward," she wrote. "If children, parents, walkers, or other pedestrians are still in the crosswalk, stay stopped and wait for the crossing to be completely clear and for the crossing guard to release traffic.
"This isn't about being difficult or holding up traffic. It's about giving kids the safest possible crossing."
