Two female students were struck at the same time by a white Prius between 8:45 and 8:55 a.m. outside of Katzen Arts Center on Feb. 11.
The women were hit when they attempted to cross Massachusetts Avenue without a walk signal, said Annie Regan, a witness to the accident and a sophomore in the School of Public Affairs.
The female driver of the Prius hit the students on the crosswalk when the women allegedly jaywalked across the Massachusetts Avenue crosswalk, said Brooke Loving-Bagwell, a witness to the accident and freshman in the School of International Service.
Both victims fell down on the inner two lanes of the four lanes of traffic on Massachusetts Avenue in front of the Prius, where a gray Mercedes coming from the opposite direction almost ran the women over, Loving-Bagwell said. However, the male driver of the Mercedes was able to avoid hitting them, Loving-Bagwell said. All traffic stopped after the women were hit.
Soon after the accident occurred, the woman in the Prius got out of her car and started yelling at one of the women on the ground, the woman got up and went into the Katzen Arts Center, Loving-Bagwell said. The Prius driver then left the scene, Loving-Bagwell said. Metropolitan Police Department listed the incident as a hit-and-run.
The first victim, who left the scene, suffered only minor injuries on the side of her body, Regan said. However, she stayed on the ground about 30 seconds longer than the other victim, Loving-Bagwell said. The man driving the Mercedes initially told the students not to move the victim when she did not get up, Loving-Bagwell said.
The second victim’s foot and ankle were badly bruised and it looked as if it had been run over by the Prius, Loving-Bagwell said. The victim’s shoes flew off when she was hit by the Prius, Loving-Bagwell said. She was also crying hysterically, Regan said.
The man in the Mercedes called an ambulance, Loving-Bagwell said. Meanwhile, a female doctor approached the accident and offered to drive the injured woman to the AU Student Health Center, Regan said.
The second woman was taken by ambulance to the hospital, Loving-Bagwell said.
MPD could not be reached for comment in time for publication.
shogan@theeagleonline.com
