Kara E. Fitzpatrick ’01 remains in critical condition at Robert Packer Memorial Hospital in Sayre, Penn. after being struck by a car in Collegetown early Wednesday morning.
At approximately 1:19 a.m. Wednesday, Fitzpatrick was crossing the street near her home at the 400 block of Dryden Road. According to Ithaca Police Department, the 21-year-old stopped in the middle of the road to speak with the driver of a westbound vehicle when another car traveling in the opposite direction hit her.
She was rushed to Cayuga Medical Center by Bang’s Ambulance and airlifted to the Robert Packer intensive care unit. According to IPD, Fitzpatrick, a senior in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and a member of the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority, sustained a head injury in the accident.
According to a hospital spokesperson, family traveled Wednesday to be with their daughter. Fitzpatrick is a native of Sparta, N.J.
The driver of the automobile, Cyril Youinou grad, gave IPD a statement after the incident and had a blood sample taken at Cayuga Medical Center. The IPD has not charged Youinou with any criminal wrongdoing.
Sgt. John Curatolo, head of Ithaca Police Department’s Traffic Unit, said alcohol did not play a role for Youinou, but does not know if Fitzpatrick had been drinking. He added that Youinou was not issued a ticket and was not speeding at the time of the accident.
According to Youinou, he was at Stella’s Restaurant on College Avenue with Imad Hmina grad. After leaving the establishment, Youinou was driving Hmina home when he hit Fitzpatrick as she stood in the street.
“The police official told me that [the accident] was not because of me,” Youinou said. “I stopped to brake before I hit her but it was too late.”
John Farden ’01, a neighborhood resident, was in his room at the time of the accident, when he heard a “bang and then a scream.” One of his housemates who also heard the accident called 911, and the two of them went to the scene.
“It was very scary,” Farden said. “Everyone was just kind of panicked. [Fitzpatrick] was unconscious the entire time I was out there until the ambulance took her away.”
IPD is investigating the accident and will issue a final report on Monday.
Archived article by Sun Staff