RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — A pedestrian is in the hospital after being hit by a commercial vehicle on the VCU campus, just one week after another pedestrian crash on campus resulted in a student’s death.
On Thursday, Feb. 2 at 9:12 p.m., VCU Police officers responded to the intersection of West Grace and North Harrison Streets for a report of a pedestrian that was hit by a commercial vehicle.
According to police, the driver was cited for failure to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. The pedestrian was taken to a local hospital for treatment. There was no information on the state of the pedestrian’s injuries at this time.
This crash comes just a week after a tragic accident involving a pedestrian on campus. On Jan. 27, VCU student Mahrokh Khan, was crossing the street at Laurel and West Main Streets when she was hit by a car. Khan later died from her injuries. Her death sparked renewed conversations about pedestrian safety on campus, with many students saying more needed to be done.
According to Corey Byers, senior public relations specialist for VCU, campus and city police are working with city officials to address ongoing traffic concerns around the university.
“There are a tremendous amount of drivers, cyclists and pedestrians on VCU’s campuses,” Byers said. “While we continue to work with the city, we respectfully ask everyone to be aware of their surroundings and to practice safe habits.”
In light of Khan’s death and this most recent accident, VCU has offered safety advice for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians around campus. For drivers, this means not using cell phones and headphones while driving and following all traffic signals and speed limits. Drivers should also yield to pedestrians at crosswalks.
Cyclists and pedestrians should also follow traffic signal and avoid using headphones or other distractions, and should also follow additional precautions like wearing bright and reflective clothing at night and staying on defined bike paths and crosswalks.
