Even as the police are facing scrutiny and protests all over the country, there are some officers who are going above and beyond their call of duty towards the public.
80-year-old Maryalice McGrath was hit by a truck right in front of Philadelphia police officer Francis Lynch and when he realized he couldn’t save her he did the most amazing thing.
Maryalice McGrath walked wherever she went, “She didn’t drive many places, but she did walk often and she had gone that day to the pharmacy to pick up a prescription,” explained Molly Quinn, the woman’s niece.
On that fateful day, the driver of a truck failed to spot Maryalice while she was crossing the intersection. And Philadelphia police officer Francis Lynch, who was at the intersection too, could do nothing to stop the truck from hitting the elderly woman.
Officer Lynch immediately called for an ambulance and back up. But Maryalice’s injuries were beyond his abilities to treat. He knew he couldn’t save her.
So, he did something which has caught the eyes of people all over the country. The Philadelphia police officer laid down next to her for 30 minutes in traffic and stayed by her side as her soul departed from this world.
It was a scorching day in July, and the officer suffered such serious burns that he had to be treated at the hospital later.
All he wanted Maryalice to know was that she wasn’t alone, no matter the cost to his own safety.
The memories of watching the 80-year-old woman die on the road, knowing he could do nothing to stop it, has been very hard on Officer Lynch.
“I’m sure it’s going to take more time for me,” he says. “But I still have a job to do and I’ve got to keep doing that.”
And while it was a terrible thing to experience, the Philadelphia police officer’s selfless act has been a blessing for Maryalice’s grieving family.
“I think he was there for a reason and he was her guardian angel,” Molly said. “And he went above and beyond the call of duty by just lying in the street next to this poor woman when she needed him.”
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