A Houston school crossing guard is being praised for risking his life to ensure the safety of students walking to and from school after a video of his actions caught the attention of many.

According to ABC13, parents of students who attend Sinclair Elementary School are increasingly frustrated by the constant impatience of drivers at one of the crosswalks near the school. A recent recording from an onlooker on October 15 at the intersection of Ella and Grovewood caught a female driver attempting to continue driving while two children and an adult were walking. To ensure the pedestrians were safe, crossing guard Michael Phil stepped in front of the car to stop the driver.

Houston parents are thankful for the school crossing guard

Due to the frequent near-injury incidents, parents are thankful to have someone like Phil willing to protect their children.

“It can be very dangerous sometimes. Sometimes people get comfortable speeding through here, and they don’t care at all,” he told the news station. “They go 50 mph. They look at me and keep right on going.”

Regarding the recent situation that was caught on camera, Phil mentioned he would take the same action.

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"I've seen many children almost get hit," one resident said. Some call crossing guard Michael Phil a hero, but he says otherwise. "I wouldn't say a hero, just a crossing guard," Phil said.

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“I love children and I want to see every child be safe going home and coming to school,” Phil said.

Parents and community members are concerned about their own safety and the safety of the students attending Sinclair Elementary School because motorists are not following the traffic rules. 

“I’ve seen many children almost get hit. I’ve watched children that are not my children almost get hit. I’ve almost been hit three times by cars,” Michelle Collins stated to ABC13.

“We’ve been exploring ideas of a raised crosswalk, blinking signs, even a stop light,” she added.

Her relative joined in and noted that Phil was brave to use his body to safeguard the three civilians because of the danger of road ragers.

“We’re also in this day and age where you’re afraid to do anything because you don’t know if that person has a weapon on them,” Searcey Collins said. “So, the fact that Mr. Michael is doing things like that and literally putting his life in danger for the children, actually for the community—I’m getting emotional—for the community as well, like, it’s amazing.”

Houston community launches GoFundMe page to show gratitude to school crossing guard

Kara Salton and Amanda Rudel created a GoFundMe page to honor Phil’s selfless act with a gift of $7,000. The account has already received 107 donations and raised $4,770 and counting.

“Mr. Michael, showed us just how much he cares for our kids. When an angry driver was refusing to stop, Mr. Michael put himself between the car and the children to make sure everyone crossed safely. His quick actions and incredible courage prevented a tragic accident,” the page read in part.

“Mr. Michael is a true hero and a cherished part of our school community. He greets our families with a smile every morning and keeps our kids safe every afternoon, rain or shine,” the page continued. “Now it’s our turn to show him how much we appreciate everything he does. We’ve created this GoFundMe to show our appreciation for his selflessness, dedication, and bravery. Every contribution is a way to say “thank you” to the man who puts our children’s safety first every single day.”

Phil doesn’t look at himself as a “hero, just a crossing guard” who is committed to doing his job.