South Campus residents say a recent hit-and-run involving two students on Sheridan Road further highlights the need for more safety measures there.
Last week, Weinberg freshmen Ruba Assaf and Mariana Hernandez were hit by a car while crossing Sheridan Road on their way back to their residence hall, 1835 Hinman, Assaf said.
“We were practically all the way across the street, like two steps from the sidewalk,” Assaf said. “This car just sped through the crosswalk. She hit me and I rolled off of her headlights and she brushed (Hernandez). She then stopped and looked at me on the ground and then sped away.”
Communications Residential College secretary Zoe Pressman said she heard yelling and the sound of a car swerving at the time of the accident while she was sitting in CRC, which is near the intersection of Sheridan Road and Hinman Avenue.
“I’m not really surprised to hear that there was a hit and run at the intersection,” the Communication sophomore said, citing her own experience. “Even if I’m in the crosswalk, cars don’t always stop.”
Evanston Police Cmdr. Jay Parrott said police are still investigating the accident, which happened shortly after 7 p.m. on Oct. 22 and did not result in injury to Assaf or Hernandez. Both refused help from paramedics after the crash.
Jacob Swiatek, the Associated Student Government senator for CRC, International Studies Residential College and Jones Residential College — dormitories all located near the site of the accident — said he has spoken with students he represents about safety concerns at that crosswalk.
“It’s definitely a dodgy intersection,” the Weinberg freshman said. “Cars speed through. Only half of them actually stop if they see you coming.”
Assaf said she uses the crosswalk multiple times a day to get to and from her residence hall and usually has to wait a minute or more for cars to stop so she can cross.
Ben Levey, president of 1835 Hinman, said several residents have reached out to him with safety concerns about the intersection.
“It’s something I see on a daily basis,” the Weinberg freshman said. “I cross that street on my way to class pretty frequently, and it’s always a concern because cars don’t always stop even though there is a crosswalk.”
Last year, ASG passed a resolution asking for an additional crosswalk at the intersection, but the city did not grant the request. At the Senate’s June 5, 2012 meeting, Ald. Jane Grover (7th) cited traffic studies in response to a senator’s question about the city’s decision and questioned the necessity of a second crosswalk across Sheridan Road at the intersection.
With or without a new crosswalk, Swiatek said he thinks the city should make the intersection safer.
“They definitely need to do something about it, whether it’s a speed bump or a speed cam or anything to make it more obvious that people are crossing,” he said. “A lot of people agree with that.”
Assaf said she hopes any witnesses to the accident who have not yet been questioned by police will contact the Evanston Police Department.
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