An unusual increase in the number of collisions between vehicles and pedestrians on campus has University police asking the community to be extra cautious when traveling through campus.
Chief Ricky Adams, LSUPD spokesman, said during the past 13 months, only six pedestrian accidents were reported to police, but three were reported during a five-day period.
“To have three accidents in such a short time span is unusual,” Adams said. “We want to make sure people are observing traffic laws and are just being careful.”
The first of the three accidents occurred Oct. 17, after the Florida football game, when Jasie Gautreaux, biological sciences sophomore, was hit by a car at the corner of East Campus and Dalrymple drives. Gautreaux was treated at Our Lady of the Lake Hospital for moderate injuries to her head and upper body.
Alanna Cleland, biological sciences senior, was thrown 55 feet in a hit and run accident as she rode her bicycle through a crosswalk outside Foster Hall on Oct. 19. She suffered a shattered ankle and moderate injuries to her lower left side.
Patricia Morgan, of 7723 Bles Ave., was booked into East Baton Rouge Parish Prison for one felony count of hit and run and one count of driving without a license.
The most recent accident occurred Oct. 21 when Bill Shearman, mass communication instructor, was struck by a vehicle while riding his bicycle to class.
Shearman suffered a gash on his head and a broken wrist.
“The trouble is, it doesn’t matter if you have the right of way,” said LSUPD Maj. Lawrence Rabalais. “If you get hit by a car, it’s not going to be good.”
Adams said the campus 20 mph speed limit on most roads contributed to the relatively minor injuries suffered by accident victims.
Gary Graham, Parking, Traffic and Transportation director, said most of the 60 crosswalks on campus force the more than 40,000 vehicles that enter campus daily to yield to pedestrians.
But pedestrians have to yield to cars on Highland Road and on Nicholson Drive.
“Three or four years ago we hired an engineering firm to come in and evaluate all of our crosswalks,” Graham said. “We had to move and add some, and some had to be eliminated to make sure they were all safe.”
Adams also said he thinks bicyclists should obey the same traffic laws cars follow.
“Bicycles shouldn’t be ridden through crosswalks,” Adams said. “Bicycles are vehicles, and they can be ticketed the same as a car can be.”
Contact Jeff Jeffrey at [email protected]