Vehicle hits and drags officer directing traffic on first day of school, district says

Parents were dropping off their children for the first day of school when another driver struck a security officer who was directing traffic, authorities in Arkansas said.

Pulaski County Special School District Officer Victor Montgomery was directing traffic between Robinson High School and Robinson Elementary at the time, according to a news release.

“A vehicle traveling westbound struck the employee, dragging him several yards in the road before coming to a stop” early Monday, Aug. 14, the district said. Another district employee called 911 right away.

Montgomery was rushed to a hospital with several injuries, officials said. He died later that morning.

Montgomery had been employed by the district for seven years, according to the release. He served Robinson High School and assisted with elementary school traffic.

The driver of the involved vehicle was a 55-year-old man from Little Rock, according to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. He is not a school employee or parent involved with the district.

“He stopped immediately and has been cooperative in all aspects of the investigation,” Arkansas Department of Public Safety spokesperson Cindy Murphy told the newspaper. “He consented to testing, and there was no suspected impairment.”

Charges are pending, she added.

“PCSSD is very upset and saddened that this accident happened,” district officials said. “It is imperative for motorists to slow down in school zones. There are three schools within walking distance of each other in this area.”

“There is absolutely no reason for any motorist to drive above the speed limit in this area any time day, much less during school drop off and pick up time,” officials continued in the release. “This could have been avoided if motorists were more attentive and aware of their surroundings while driving in school zones.”

McClatchy News reached out to the Arkansas Department of Public Safety for additional information and was awaiting a response.

“Officer Montgomery may be gone but he will not be forgotten,” Dr. Jay Pickering, principal of Joe T. Robinson High School, said in the release. “Paw Paw will forever be in our hearts and the halls of Robinson High.”

Pulaski County Special School District is part of the Little Rock metropolitan area.

This story was originally published August 14, 2023 at 2:06 PM with the headline "Vehicle hits and drags officer directing traffic on first day of school, district says."