More than two years after a beloved school crossing guard was struck and killed while directing traffic, the Fort Mill School District has just agreed to settle with the family for $200,000.
Stanley Brucker was working at the entrance to Fort Mill Elementary School on Springfield Parkway on March 21, 2024, when he was hit by a vehicle while directing traffic. According to the York County Coroner’s Office, Brucker was rushed to the hospital but later died from his injuries.
The lawsuit alleged that Brucker worked for Cross Safe, a company contracted to provide crossing guards at locations designated by the Fort Mill School District.
According to the complaint, the district assigned Brucker to “a specific location that FMSD knew or should have known was unsafe, unreasonably dangerous, and not an appropriate location for a school crossing guard.” Based on those allegations, the family claimed the district acted negligently.
The lawsuit also named the driver, Belinda Denise Jenkins, alleging she “violently and without warning” struck Brucker while operating her vehicle in a negligent and reckless manner. Claims against Jenkins remain active and are not affected by the settlement with the school district.
New court filings show the South Carolina School Boards Insurance Trust has agreed to pay $200,000 on behalf of the Fort Mill School District to resolve all claims against the district. The settlement covers the wrongful death claim and does not include punitive damages. Court documents also state that none of the settlement proceeds were allocated to the survival action, with the full amount designated for the wrongful death claim.
The filings also note that the agreement is a compromise of disputed claims and is not an admission of liability by the school district. The settlement remains contingent on approval by the court and the South Carolina Workers’ Compensation Commission.
