News & Notes: Freshman hit by car on Washington Road

The student, who asked that his name be withheld, was traveling west across the street just after 7 p.m. when he was struck by a rental car driven by a local resident. The driver also asked that her name not be disclosed.

“There were other people in the crosswalk, so I thought everybody was waiting for them,” said the student, who was unhurt except for a few small cuts.

But the driver explained that, though she saw the freshman in the road, she was unable to stop her vehicle because her brakes failed.

“She pressed [the brake pedal] as soon as she saw him,” added the car’s other occupant.

Safety concerns have been raised in the past concerning the site of this accident. In May 2008, University employee Matthew Montondo suffered head trauma after he was struck by a car at the same crosswalk. A year before, Frist Campus Center maintenance assistant Theodore Christie sustained minor injuries after a car skidded out of control and struck the Washington Road bus stop.

The University is currently constructing a pedestrian bridge, designed by Christian Menn, south of Jadwin Hall.

John Streicker ’64, who donated the money for the bridge in December 2006, said in an e-mail that the new structure “will add an important element of safety to what is now a perilous crossing of Washington Road.”

The individuals involved in Thursday’s accident have no plans to pursue legal action. When asked what the next step would be, the rental car’s passenger said, “Just change the car, and that’s it.”