Roseville Student Earns AAA's Highest National Safety Honor

DEARBORN, Mich., April 28 -- Jessica Zeiter, 10, from Huron Park Elementary in Roseville, Mich., was on duty as a AAA Safety Patroller last winter, during heavy traffic and icy road conditions. A driver was speeding on the slippery roadway and failed to see a first grade student step into the street. Jessica quickly grabbed the student by the coat and pulled her back to safety.

For this act of courage, Zeiter will receive AAA's highest national safety honor -- "The Lifesaving Medal" -- for her heroic, split-second decision that saved her schoolmate from life-threatening danger. Zeiter will be recognized along with five other "Lifesavers" on May 2 during the 85th anniversary of the AAA School Safety Patrol -- the motor club's signature pedestrian safety program.

"On behalf of the 500,000 children nationwide who are school safety patrollers, I am pleased to present these individuals with the Lifesaving Medal," said Marshall Doney, vice president, AAA Automotive. "This award recognizes their remarkable courage and dedication to making our schools and roads safe for all students."

According to the latest data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 4.672 pedestrians were killed in traffic crashes in the United States in 2003 -- a decrease of 17 percent from the 5,649 pedestrians killed in 1993. The national pedestrian death rate per 100,000 for children aged 5- 14 has fallen by 93 percent since 1935, the first year records were kept. AAA safety experts credit the 85-year-old School Safety Patrol program with making a strong contribution to this significant improvement.

The five other lifesavers who will be honored May 2 have similarly heroic stories:

* Pytrce Farmer, 11, from Eva Turner Elementary in Waldorf, Md., pulled a six-year-old boy, Gabriel Dickson, from the path of an oncoming vehicle -- a van that stopped just inches from striking the boy. Gabriel's mother stopped her vehicle in the second lane of traffic, which prompted Gabriel to step into the street despite previous warnings from Pytrce to stay on the curb.

* Michelle Grimm, 12, from Weems Elementary in Manassas, Va., saved the life of a fellow student who fell off of the sidewalk and was lying directly in the path of a school bus. The student was struggling to regain balance because of his heavy book bag when Michelle quickly ran to his aid and brought him to safety, out of the way of the oncoming bus.

* Estefan Santos, 10, from Jackson Road Elementary School in Silver Spring, Md., prevented a student from veering into the traffic, restraining him despite the child's kicking and biting. Estefan carried him three feet onto the sidewalk and away from oncoming traffic.

* Jared Smith, 11, from Combee Elementary School in Lakeland, Fla. stopped a child who was darting into the path of a van on the move. The van was approximately six feet away when Jared stopped him.

* Naomi Wall, 12, from Dan Emmett Elementary in Mount Vernon, Ohio, was on patrol when her younger brother failed to obey her patrol flag, heading toward a car that had run a red light. Naomi grabbed her brother and pulled him to safety.

"The stories are amazing, just like these safety patrollers," said Doney. "They are heroes in every sense of the word."

AAA started the national school safety patrol in 1920. Today, the AAA School Safety Patrol is an organization of 500,000 boys and girls nationwide in 50,000 schools. Many famous Americans have been safety patrollers, including former U.S. Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, Senator John Warner of Virginia, three current members of the U.S. Supreme Court, 21 astronauts and six Olympic gold medallists. The program has a long history of helping young people become leaders by teaching discipline, responsibility, and concern for others.