UPDATED: Crossing guard hit, killed by vehicle outside Layton elementary school
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- Memorials are placed at the intersection of 1600 North and Main Street following the death of Layton crossing guard Steven Winn at the location on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025.
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- Crossing guard supervisor Shawn Lewis and Lt. Travis Lyman of the Layton City Police Department discuss the death of crossing guard Steven Winn near Vae View Elementary School on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025.
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- A message is left on a traffic cone at the intersection of 1600 North and Main Street following the death of Layton crossing guard Steven Winn at the location on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025.
LAYTON — A Layton City crossing guard is dead after being hit by a vehicle Tuesday while performing his morning duties, the Layton City Police Department has announced.
The incident occurred at approximately 8:30 a.m. when Steven Winn, 67, reportedly had just helped a group of students cross Main Street at 1600 North as they made their way to Vae View Elementary School. As Winn made his way back to the other (east) side of Main Street, he was struck by a car driven north by an elderly woman.
According to a news release, Winn was “holding a stop sign and wearing his reflective vest” in the crosswalk at the time of the collision. It was further noted that a traffic light, which assists with the school crossing and the crossing of other pedestrians throughout the day, appeared to be in working order.
A Layton police officer was stopped in traffic at the intersection and witnessed part of the collision, per the release. The officer reportedly got out of his car and performed CPR on Winn until medical personnel arrived.
Several Vae View Elementary students also were in the area at the time of the incident. Davis School District has made grief counselors available to assist them in processing what transpired.
The driver of the vehicle that struck Winn remained on the scene following the crash and is cooperating with the investigation, which is ongoing.
Lt. Travis Lyman of the Layton Police advised motorists to exercise caution at crosswalks.
“People need to pay attention, especially in the morning and afternoons when these school crossings are active and kids are coming and going from school,” Lyman of the Layton Police told the Standard-Examiner. “Just a reminder to pay attention to those areas even more closely than you might otherwise, because the stakes are high for these kids crossing these streets and our crossing guards out working these places.”
Memorials in Winn’s honor later appeared at the accident site, with flowers, stuffed animals and messages from area crossing guards being placed on both sides of the 1600 North crosswalk.
Shawn Lewis, a crossing guard supervisor with the Layton police, said Winn was a retiree who lived in Layton and had served as a crossing guard for over two years. He reportedly approached his job with humor and had earned the respect of his peers.
Lewis said he had communicated with other area crossing guards following the accident.
“Some, obviously, have concerns in the safety of their job. … Most of them are just shocked because a friend has passed away,” Lewis said.
Lewis acknowledged the dangers crossing guards encounter and noted that the 1600 North/Main Street intersection has one of the busier crosswalks in the city. However, he maintained that it adhered to the standards established at the state level.
“I prefer it because it has a light. Those are much easier than the ones where the guard has to determine when the appropriate time to stop traffic is,” he said.
