Weinberg freshman Marjorie Rutherford never thought her chemistry books would save her life.
But when Rutherford was crossing Sheridan Road from the International Studies Residential College to the 1835 Hinman dining hall to have dinner with friends in September, a car clipped the side of her body and hit her backpack — stuffed with heavy books that absorbed the shock.
Friends and students in ISRC took her to the hospital, where doctors treated her for torn ligaments and leg bruises but no severe injuries.
“I thought it was safe,” Rutherford said. “But I got stuck in the middle of the road and a car cut around and hit my bag. I ended up breaking the windshield and flying a couple of feet.”
Rutherford and some students blame danger at the intersection near Fisk Hall and Hinman Avenue on an absence of signs, fading cross walk paint and a lack of lighting.
Tonight Rutherford and fellow students who live near the intersection plan to ask Evanston City Council members to do something about the safety of city residents.
The students will make their appeal at 8 p.m. at the Evanston Civic Center, 2100 Ridge Ave. ISRC President Will Haney, who organized the group of students attending the meeting, demands Evanston make improvements to what he describes as a busy, dark and poorly painted crosswalk. He encourages more students to come help push for changes at the busy intersection.
“We’re asking them to reduce the speed, implement lighting or signs — really just anything,” he said. “It’s just a blind corner right now.”
Haney sent a letter to the mayor and city clerk on Sunday informing them of Northwestern students’ concerns.
“You can’t see anything at all on that street at night,” said Haney, a Weinberg sophomore. “We want to put in a motion to Evanston so they know it’s a safety risk for any of the residents who traverse on that area.”
He referred to Rutherford’s recovery as “miraculous.”
“We don’t want to wait until the next student gets hurt for the city to do something about this,” Haney said. “We want to make sure the area stays repainted all the time.”
Rutherford’s roommate, Vickie Bhatia, said that after Rutherford’s accident, she plans to attend the meeting and help.
Bhatia said she has been trapped in the middle of the intersection. She said it’s hard for drivers to see students crossing because of the sharp curve in front of Campus Drive, especially when those cars are driving on Sheridan with their headlights switched off.
“I try to be cautious of every car that comes around,” she said. “I wait until the road is completely clear.”
Although a month has passed since the accident, Rutherford still feels cramps in her legs and has a sore lump on her right shin.
Rutherford plans to be at the city council meeting, and she encourages other students to attend to make NU’s voice stronger.
“I hope they do something,” she said. “It’s a poor excuse for the city to have a (crosswalk) where you can barely see the line.”
Reach Stephanie Chen at [email protected].
