Student pedestrian injured in accident

Suzi Starheim

Kent State police have completed their investigation of an accident involving a pedestrian hit by a car Thursday.

Two female students were walking back to their dormitory from the Student Recreation and Wellness Center when a male student driving a car failed to yield to pedestrians and hit one of the females, said Officer Kelly Given of the Kent State Police Department.

The accident occurred on the corner of Eastway and Senhauser drives. The call came into the police department at 7:24 p.m.

“When the call came out I was about 100 yards down the road,” Givens said. “The victim was sitting on the side of the curb when I got there.”

The female was injured and transported by the Kent City Fire Department to Akron City Hospital. The extent of her injuries was unavailable, but Given said she was conscious and sitting up when she arrived on the scene.

The driver was cited for failure to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk.

Given said the driver of the car said he did not see the female crossing in the crosswalk ahead of him because she was wearing dark clothing. There was also a glare on the road from rain.

Given said unlike another recent accident on campus, “a lot of student witnesses stopped to make sure the female was OK.”

The driver’s traffic court date is set for Oct. 26. The driver also has the option to waive the citation by pleading guilty and paying his fee before his court date.

This is the second on-campus collision in less than two weeks – the first involved sophomore exploratory major Nicholas Marsh, who was riding his bike to class when he collided with a car on the corner of Summit Street and Risman Drive Oct. 7.

Contact safety reporter Suzi Starheim at [email protected]