AAA South Jersey Honors 9-Year-Old School Safety Patrollers Involved in Hit-and-Run

BELLMAWR, N.J. (November 16, 2022) – AAA South Jersey was pleased to honor two young girls for their bravery Tuesday night. In early October 9-year-old AAA School Safety Patroller Audrina Kelly was injured in a hit-and-run crash outside of Ethel M. Burke Elementary School in Bellmawr.

After helping her classmates safely cross the street to school, Audrina was struck by a vehicle turning from busy Black Horse Pike.

That’s when fellow patroller Aria King, also 9 years old, sprang into action. According to the girls, Aria saw the truck coming and yelled out “Audrina!” to get her attention, allowing Audrina to turn and avoid being hit head-on. She suffered a concussion and leg injuries.

Audrina credits Aria with saving her life and asked that she also be honored.

“I was trying to put my poncho back in my backpack but then I turned around and I saw her and then she got hit and then I went to the school as quick as I can and I got everyone who was at the office,” Aria recalls.

On Tuesday night, AAA South Jersey, the Bellmawr Public School District and Bellmawr Police Department honored the girls during a board meeting in front of a packed crowd.

AAA South Jersey CEO David Antrilli presented the girls each with a gift basket filled with school safety patrol gear and one final surprise – a check for $1,500 each.

This spring, both girls will be considered for the national AAA School Safety Patrol Lifesaving Award, the highest honor given to patrol members.

For more than 100 years, the AAA School Safety Patrol program has empowered millions of students to protect their classmates going to and from school. On Tuesday night, AAA South Jersey was proud to support two dedicated patrollers who exemplify the program’s core mission.