A Moncton crosswalk guard couldn’t believe his eyes when he watched surveillance video taken of a near miss one week ago. Yvon Gaudet was at his position on April 28 when he pushed the button to cross, raised his stop sign and ventured into the road. That didn’t stop the driver of an SUV from going through the crosswalk while a young student waited on the curb to cross the street. After the vehicle drove away, Gaudet escorted the child across the street safely. “It might be 20 seconds longer in their trip if they stop at the crosswalk with the flashing lights, fluorescent vest, with the stop sign,” said Gaudet, still upset after watching the video. Gaudet works the morning and afternoon shift near École Le Sommet on Ryan Street in northwest Moncton. He can count on one hand how many incidents he’s had in the past five years, none of them close calls like last Tuesday. “But I’ve had three here in the last two weeks,” said Gaudet. A woman who lives near the crosswalk provided the video to CTV News, but Gaudet hadn’t had a good look at it until Tuesday. “I can’t believe it,” he said. Gaudet doesn’t understand why people can’t slow down and drive more carefully in a school zone. “I take this job very seriously. I’ve been here five years. I see kids grow up, I see the older kids move on to the high school, I see new kids come. I love these kids,” said Gaudet. “I’m trying to do everything I can to help them get to school safe and get back home safe.” Kim Hefferman is the director of crossing guard service for Synergy Protection Group, Gaudet’s employer. In a statement to CTV News, Hefferman said incidents like the one in Moncton are incredibly concerning and it has been documented as a near miss. “We make sure our crossing guards are trained to recognize and report near misses, capturing key details and working closely with local police when needed. We track these incidents carefully so we can understand where risks are emerging and advocate for improvements wherever we can,” said Hefferman. Gaudet managed to get the plate number of the vehicle and reported it to his supervisor, but did not contact police. Gaudet said he’s checking with his supervisor to see who should report the incident to the RCMP. “We generally do not report the incidents ourselves on behalf of the crossing guard, but we do advise them to contact police and support them in doing so,” said Hefferman. École Le Sommet is a K-8 school with around 700 students. “And some of them are quite young and some of them depend on me to help them cross the street, get home safe and to go to school safe,” said Gaudet. “I’m trying to do the best I can. I wish drivers would give me a little help.” For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
