Third-year College student Sasheer Moore was struck by a car while crossing Emmet Street Monday afternoon. The driver was third-year College student Nicholas Colaluca, C. W. Gardner, a Charlottesville Police motor officer, said.
Moore said she was walking alone to her dorm in the International Residential College at approximately 2 p. m. Monday afternoon when she stepped into the crosswalk next to the Snyder Tennis Center.
"The cars that were going toward Barracks [Shopping Center] were all stopped because of a light," Moore said. "I stepped past those cars to see if other cars were coming in the other direction and they weren't."
While Moore continued to cross, however, a white GMC Yukon sports utility vehicle was illegally driving northbound through a series of turn lanes intended for southbound traffic, Gardner said.
Moore said she was told that she rolled on top of the car hood before hitting her head on a stationary car nearby.
"I didn't black out or anything," Moore said. "My eyes were open the whole time, which was really freaky."
Second-year College student Mary Gayner arrived at the scene of the accident soon after it occurred and described the scene as "chaotic."
Moore said an ambulance soon arrived and took her to the hospital where she got stitches in her left elbow. Moore also suffered bruising on her left knee and said she lost "a lot of skin" from her left arm. She spent yesterday recuperating in her room.
Gardner said Colaluca, an all-ACC varsity soccer player for Virginia, was charged with reckless driving because he was reportedly driving 35 to 40 miles per hour in a 25-mile per hour zone while also driving illegally through turn lanes.
Gardner said Colaluca could receive a penalty ranging from a $50 fine to suspension of his license along with a "hefty fine."
Colaluca was unavailable for comment yesterday.
Moore is not the first University student to be struck by a car on Emmet Road; similar incidents occurred last January and in February 2005.
Mark Fletcher, chair of the University's Security and General Safety Committee, said the University has worked to improve students' safety on Emmet Street in the past year. Street lights were installed from the IRC down Emmet St. to McCormick Rd.
"We believe that was a huge improvement," Fletcher said.
Fletcher also noted that the crosswalks were improved with fluorescent painting and additional signs.
Fletcher said the use of cell phones and iPods has contributed to pedestrians' lack of attention to traffic across Grounds.
Moore said she was neither listening to music nor talking on a phone at the time of her accident.
Fletcher said one of the most important things to remember while crossing a street or while driving on Grounds is to be aware.
"You make eye contact, or you jump up and down and make sure they see you, whether you're driving a car or if you're a pedestrian," Fletcher said.
IRC Principal Brad Brown gave students similar advice in an advisory email about traffic dangers prior to the start of this semester's classes.
"Be visible," he wrote. "Don't cross until you're sure you can make it
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