A school crossing guard has been hailed as a hero after he saved two young boys from a distracted driver.

Bob Nill was struck by the black sedan on Tuesday morning moments after he pushed the lads out of its path to safety.

The 88-year-old – affectionately known as 'Mr Bob' – was protecting young children on the crossing in front of Christ the King Parish School in Kansas City.

The pensioner was taken to the hospital where he died of his injuries.

The driver, who has not been named, was also taken to hospital for treatment.

The black car was later pictured being towed from the crash scene. 

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One local woman told ABC7 that her 'heart just dropped' when she heard of the crash.

Tanya Walker said she and Mr Nill had previously spoken of their concerns that cars were driving too fast past the school.

"We used to talk about how the cars would come up fast," she said.

His nephew Randy Nill said his uncle had worked the crosswalk for five years because he didn't want to sit around in retirement after working first in the Coast Guard and then in banking.

He told ABC7: "This was something I think he felt like he could help children and help himself feel good about what he was doing.

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"What my Uncle Bob did for just getting little kids across the street seemed probably trivial to some people, but for him, it was a really important job, and now, we really know how important it was. He maybe saved some lives."

Cathy Fithian, principal of Christ the King Parish School, told KMBC that Mr Nill loved working with the students and they were very fond of him.

"He loved the children. The children loved him. They called him Mr Bob," she said. 

"On Friday, when he went home, he had a lot of Valentines from the kids, gifts and cards, and he just went on and on about the gifts. And his son knew that he loved it here and the kids loved him."

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Mayor David Alvey led the tributes. He said: "I offer my deepest sympathies to the family of the crossing guard, and I offer our gratitude on behalf of our residents for his selfless sacrifice in protecting our children.

"The Unified Government staff extends their heartfelt thoughts and prayers tot he employee's family, friends, and those affected by this tragedy." 

Christ the King School called the crossing guard a 'hero' for saving two of its students.

"Our hearts are heavy at the passing of Mr Nill. Please continue to keep him and his family in your prayers as well as the students, parents, and teachers who witnessed today's accident.

"Also know that Mr Nill is a hero. He stopped two of our students from crossing the road as the car approached," the statement said on Facebook.

It is not known if any charges will be filed against the driver. 

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