Around 2 p.m. on the second day of the spring quarter, a student was hit by a car at the crosswalk on Evans Avenue. Here’s how it happened, and more importantly, how I think it could easily happen again. At least 15 or more students, myself included, were waiting at the crosswalk on the northern side of Evans. Once traffic passed, the entire group began walking towards the median. However, the traffic light was still green and cars were whizzing by on the southern lane of Evans. My guess is that this young man on his skateboard emerged at the crosswalk around the point the group began to move and he must have assumed that if a large group of people were crossing the street then traffic was stopped. Further, I’m guessing that because of the large group of people he could not see that traffic was still moving in the eastbound lane. As I got within a few steps of the median, he came by on his skateboard and it was clear to me he was not going to stop. It was one of those moments where time stood still as I saw what was about to happen to this young man. I yelled and somehow he noticed his error and braced himself for the imminent impact. Next, a Jeep Cherokee slammed into him, propelling him several feet into the air and finally onto the hard pavement. I moved quickly towards him preparing myself for something I did not want to see. Miraculously (is there any better word?), this young man got up on his own and appeared to be unharmed. I could not believe he was not seriously injured, so I strongly urged him to sit still until medical personnel could evaluate him. The driver–along with everyone else–was shaken but relieved that this young man appeared okay. I have two reactions to share. First, regardless of the dangerousness of the crosswalk, we are ultimately responsible for our own safety and this young man made a poor decision to assume it was safe to cross the street simply because others were doing so. However, given the way it occurred, I feel confident that it was a mistake that could easily be repeated by someone else. Second, university administrators should evaluate (or re-evaluate) the crosswalk and traffic light situation on Evans. A seemingly simple solution would be to reduce the speed limit on Evans during peak times of on-campus traffic, much like school zones for public schools. So, to those who cross the street at Evans, be careful and make sure you are aware of the situation. And to those with the ability to actually do something about the speed and flow of traffic through the middle of campus, I urge you to seriously consider any reasonable action that could enhance the safety of your students. I would be more than happy to participate in discussions with administration about possible solutions.

Michael SmithSecond-year DU law student