The woman whose daughter's death led her to save others

Dorris Francis is known as the "traffic heroine" in Ghaziabad, a suburban area near the Indian capital Delhi.

Ms Francis is not a police officer but she manages traffic in the same spot day after day, on a busy intersection of roads.

The intersection has special significance for her - it is the same place her daughter Nikki died in an accident in 2010.

Ms Francis is confident and looks in complete control as she ensures the smooth and safe passage of traffic in the area.

"I know about her story, she works selflessly. I haven't seen many who have the courage like her. I don't know how she can come every day to the same spot where she lost her daughter," police constable Kumar Pal Singh, who is at the intersection, tells BBC News.

Unsung Indians

This is the fourth article in a BBC series Unsung Indians, profiling people who are working to improve the lives of others.

More from the series:

The doctor who delivers girls for free

Cancer survivor bringing joy to destitute children

A messiah for India's abandoned sick

'She died, I survived'

Ms Francis still remembers the day when a speeding car hit the tuk-tuk in which she was travelling with her daughter.

"She died, I survived. I wish traffic was managed better that day," she tells the BBC.

People say they love Ms Francis for her selfless service

Ms Francis manages traffic at the intersection during peak morning and evening hours

She lost her daughter Nikki in a road accident in 2010

It's not difficult to understand the risk of accidents at this busy intersection because drivers looked reckless in the absence of any supervision.

But when Ms Francis is present, most drivers follow her instructions and the traffic looks orderly.

She even gets tough with them, sometimes even mildly whacking reckless pedestrians and drivers with a stick.

"It's been more than six years since I started. My mission was to save lives and not let any mother lose her daughter, husband or son. And that's what I have been doing and I will continue to do until I have strength in my body," she says.