ORANGE PARK, Fla. – A Clay County crossing guard who spent more than two decades helping children safely cross the street outside Grove Park Elementary School is fighting for her life after being struck by a vehicle Tuesday morning while on duty.
Sheri Hamilton was wearing a high-visibility traffic vest and holding a stop sign at the intersection of Gano Avenue and Miller Street when investigators say a driver struck her. The Orange Park Police Department responded to the crash and confirmed Hamilton was transported to Orange Park Medical Center, where she underwent two surgeries.
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Her son, Robert Hamilton, spoke with News4JAX from Louisiana, where he is unable to travel to be at his mother’s bedside.
“I just felt helpless and just in shock,” he said.
Robert Hamilton said his mother’s connection to Grove Park Elementary runs deep. He and his brother both attended the school, and Sheri Hamilton volunteered there for years before taking on the crossing guard role she has held for more than 20 years.
“She has a tie to that community, and we’ve been living in that area since 1976,” Robert Hamilton said. “She’s well-liked. She was a happy person.”
As of Wednesday evening, Robert Hamilton said he received an update from his brother that Sheri Hamilton is in stable condition in the ICU following the two surgeries.
He said she sustained a broken back, broken ribs, and serious head injuries, including a brain bleed that required surgeons to remove part of her temporal lobe and her skull cap to relieve pressure. Doctors may be able to replace the skull cap in a couple of weeks if swelling and bleeding do not return.
Robert Hamilton said learning that his mother was struck while visibly on duty — in her vest, stop sign in hand — made the crash difficult to process.
“That’s, to me, somebody just not paying attention,” he said.
He added that the outpouring of support from the community and from people in his own circle in Louisiana has brought some comfort during an otherwise helpless wait.
“Just worried and getting phone calls briefly from people — it just even makes me still feel helpless,” he said. “I even have people that I associate with here praying for her recovery.”
When asked what message he would send to the driver who struck his mother, Robert Hamilton chose his words carefully.
“I’m not going to say anything negative,” he said. “People just need to be really looking out, especially with school starting back up. It’s simple — follow the rules. Just pay attention more.”
The Orange Park Police Department confirmed the driver remained at the scene and is cooperating with the investigation. No charges have been announced. The crash remains under investigation.
Clay County District Schools deployed its District Crisis Team, including counselors, to Grove Park Elementary on Tuesday to support students and staff who may have witnessed the crash or needed help processing the events of the morning.
The school district released a statement urging drivers to take school zone safety seriously.
“We strongly urge all drivers to slow down, eliminate distractions, and pay close attention when traveling through school zones and near our campuses,” the statement read. “The safety of our students, staff, and the dedicated team members who protect them every day relies on everyone driving responsibly.”
Sheri Hamilton remains hospitalized. For updates on the crash investigation, contact the Orange Park Police Department directly.