A student was struck by a car late last night on Thurston Ave. in front of the Noyes Language Lab.
The Cornell University Police Department and the Ithaca Police Department both responded to the scene, but neither could report immediately whether all of those involved were Cornell students. Following an IPD investigation, more information about the factors contributing to the accident will be disclosed today.
The incident took place at about 10:15 p.m., as witnessed by Catherine McCarthy ’05, who was driving along Thurston at that time and saw a young woman laying in the street.
“I slowed down, because I didn’t know if they needed help,” McCarthy said.
McCarthy continued downtown, where she was headed, when she saw several passengers emerge from the car — presumably the same vehicle that hit the woman on foot.
“There were a lot of people packed in the car,” McCarthy recalled.
Then, as she reached Collegetown, McCarthy noticed an ambulance speeding toward campus.
IPD verified that one person was transported to the Cayuga Medical Center.
“The injuries don’t appear to be serious,” said IPD Sgt. Bill Finnerty.
Although neither party in the incident has been held responsible for the incident, Finnerty urged students to be observant when traveling on campus in a car or on foot — especially as visibility and weather conditions worsen.
“It always makes sense to be a defensive driver and a defensive pedestrian. People have to be alert on both sides,” Finnerty said.
In March 2000, a TCAT bus struck Michelle Evans ’01 at the intersection of Thurston and Wait Ave. The driver of that bus later pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide.
— Katie Porch ’02 contributed to this story.
Archived article by Matthew Hirsch