Driver Charged in School Crossing Guard Death

Police say a driver who struck and killed a West Springfield, Massachusetts, school crossing guard on Monday will be charged in the accident.

West Springfield Police Sgt. Hubert Rees said Wednesday that a 61-year-old Agawam woman will be charged with motor vehicle homicide by negligence. The driver stayed at the scene and cooperated with investigators.

Rees said the crossing guard was 76-year-old Patricia Welker of West Springfield.

Police say Welker was struck at about 8:45 a.m. Monday at the intersection of Elm and Garden streets not far from the Coburn Elementary School. She had just helped a child safely across the street when she was hit.

Schools Superintendent Michael Richard has said the district is saddened by the death of Welker, a longtime crossing guard.