Female student struck in hit-and-run near campus
By Phil Glynn
News Editor

> February 1, 2001

A female student was struck by a car in the 3400 block of University Parkway, just in sight of the university entrance to campus, in the early hours of Jan. 20. The student suffered hip fractures in two places, according to freshman Matt McCall, who witnessed the accident.

“I heard the car hit her and then I turned around and saw her on the ground,” McCall said. McCall said that he and other students assisted her back to the off-campus residence where they had previously been. He said that after returning to the residence, the group decided to take her to Forsyth Memorial Hospital.

One piece of evidence that the Winston-Salem Police Department is examining is the passenger side rear-view mirror of the car, which was dislodged from the vehicle during the accident.

“First, the mirror was seized as evidence,” University Police Chief Regina Lawson said. “So far, police have been unable to determine what kind of vehicle.” Lawson also said that the Winston-Salem Police had told her that the mirror was badly damaged, making it hard to determine its manufacturer. She said that because of poor visibility that night, the students could not conclusively identify the vehicle either.

The investigating officer, P.M. Felske of the Winston-Salem Police, wrote in his report of the accident that the students who witnessed the accident “advised they did not see the actual collision, but did see brake lights of an unknown type vehicle prior to it leaving the area.”

Lawson said that University Police will be working with Winston-Salem police in their search for the car. She said that they will be sharing information that would lead to an arrest. One viable possibility would be to monitor insurance claims for a broken side-view mirror.

The injured student, whose name the Old Gold and Black is withholding due to the nature of the accident, has left the university in order to recover.