A car traveling 15 to 20 miles per hour struck an AU student crossing Massachusetts Avenue walking towards campus — raising concerns about pedestrian safety on Ward Circle crosswalks.
The student, who did not wish to be identified or comment for this article, was crossing the southern crosswalk of Massachusetts Avenue — where there are no traffic lights — when a car, driven by an elderly man from out of town, struck him. The impact rolled him over the car hood and onto the street. The Department of Public Safety and the Metropolitan Police Department responded to the scene. An ambulance also responded but did not transport the student to the hospital after it was clear his injuries were not serious.
The driver, who said he was inexperienced and unconfident on D.C. roads, was trying to change to the middle lane so that he could turn left into the Berkshire Apartment Complex further down Massachusetts Avenue.
When asked what had happened, the man responded simply, “Well, I hit a young man with my car.”
He said his unfamiliarity with traffic circles contributed to his confusion while driving.
“Drivers weren’t letting me in and they were honking their horns, and when I finally was able to change lanes my wife yelled ‘stop!’” the driver said.
The accident, while minor, has raised questions about the safety of AU students crossing the busy intersections around Ward Circle. Fifteen pedestrians in D.C. were killed last year in traffic accidents, accounting for 38 percent of traffic fatalities in the district, according to the MPD Web site.
And while an MPD officer at the scene of the accident said there are rarely any pedestrian accidents on Ward Circle, Student Government President Andy MacCracken is still concerned.
“The increased foot traffic sparked by the extra AU students at the Berks has been a safety concern all semester,” he said. “It could be beneficial to make sure there is an officer at the Ward Circle stops between classes, when the highest volume of students are going between campus and the Berks.”
MacCracken also suggested that the university lobby D.C. to install flashing yellow lights to alert drivers to the increases foot traffic around Ward Circle between classes.
“I’d just recommend that students be aware of their surroundings when crossing Ward Circle intersections and be courteous to the drivers,” he said. “Rushing might present a danger to everyone involved.”
David Taylor, President Neil Kerwin’s chief of staff, said AU is concerned whenever a student at AU is injured.
“While incidents such as what happened on Tuesday are rare — all issues involving student/pedestrian safety are taken seriously,” he said in e-mail to The Eagle.
AU is working on a campus facilities plan that will address traffic and transportation issues, according to Taylor.
“Ward Circle will be part of that conversation with the city and community, as will other areas where pedestrians and cars come and go from AU main and Tenley campus areas,” he said.
MacCracken said that the crossing between the Ward Circle Building and the Nebraska Parking Lot is also dangerous. The walk signal is given at the same time cars coming from Massachusetts Avenue are given a green light to make right turns. This can lead to impatient drivers edging closer to pedestrians and sometimes trying to slip between groups of students crossing.
“This isn’t safe,” he said. “It might be better to either shorten the pedestrian crossing time, or extend the vehicle’s green light exclusively so they have an opportunity to go through the circle without presenting a danger to students walking to class.”
You can reach this staff writer at cszold@theeagleonline.com
