NORTH FORSYTH -- A Forsyth County Sheriff’s deputy was struck by a vehicle Monday morning while directing traffic on Hwy. 369 in front of Coal Mountain Elementary School.

The 39-year-old driver was traveling west when he collided with the deputy in the highway’s travel lane, according to Georgia State Patrol Sgt. Tim Meyer, who worked the accident.

“It was at that gray time of morning right in between darkness and daylight,” Meyer said.

The deputy was wearing his yellow reflective coat and directing traffic with an orange baton.

“It wasn’t a matter of wearing the right clothing.” Meyer said. “It was the motorist not being as attentive as he should have been.”

The driver did not have any passengers and was passing through the area, not dropping a child off at school.

“[Drivers] need to anticipate that there is going to be someone in the roadway at that time of the morning [by a school],” Meyer said, “and not proceed until you identify where they are.”

According to the sheriff’s office, the deputy was taken to an area hospital with what were described as serious but not life-threatening injuries.

Robin Regan, a spokesman for the sheriff’s office, said the deputy was discharged later in the day, but will have to return for “multiple surgeries.”

The deputy’s name has not been released, but Regan said the man has been on the force for about two and a half years.

The state patrol, the agency handling the investigation, cited the driver for failing to obey an authorized person directing traffic.