Community Rallies To Help Bridgeport Crossing Guard Hit By Car

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. -- Darien VFW Commander Lenny Hunter was working as a school crossing guard in Bridgeport on Tuesday when he was hit by a car, resulting in two broken legs and a fractured skull.

Darien VFW Commander Leonard Hunter was hit by a car while serving as a school crossing guard in Bridgeport this week
Photo Credit: *Contributed*

Casey Donahue

09/16/2017 2:30 a.m.

The incident happened at around 8:12 a.m., when a woman dropping off her child at nearby Geraldine Johnson Elementary School told police that she "blacked out," jumped a curb and hit Hunter and another crossing guard.

Now that Hunter is facing what will likely be a long road to recovery, his longtime friend and former Darien VFW Commander Phil Kraft has set up a GoFundMe campaign to help.

Kraft wrote in the GoFundMe that Hunter lives in Bridgeport with his wife Mary and provides support and guidance for his extended family. Because it is not certain what financial impact his family will face for what is sure to be a long rehabilitation, Hunter's fellow veterans and members of the Darien VFW decided to establish the fund as a contingency for family expenses.

"Lenny is truly one of those rare people who you can refer to as 'beloved,'" Kraft wrote.

"In his 30 years at the US Post Office in Darien, he touched many lives. As a matter of fact, he saved a boy's life while on his postal route. A perfect example of Lenny's character is, every day after performing his duties as a crossing guard, he would volunteer at a veterans' center food bank."

Hunter was born in Stamford, one of 11 children, and joined the Army right after graduating from Stamford High School in 1967. Five of the eight Hunter boys served during the Vietnam War. He served with the 578th Signal Company in Vietnam from 1967 to 1968, and after returning to civilian life he worked in the Darien Post Office for 37 years. He was installed as Post Commander of the VFW Post 6933 in Darien in 2016.

"Your donation will go toward the incidental expenses we predict will be incurred during Lenny's long rehabilitation, as well as keeping his family financially intact during that time," Kraft wrote.

"We know that were it any one of us in this situation, Lenny would be first in line to offer any help."

Click here to support the GoFundMe campaign.

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