Two students struck by car outside CSPAC

Two university graduate students were hit by a car last night as they were crossing the street outside of the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at about 8:15 p.m., University Police said.

The students were crossing in the crosswalk from CSPAC to the Stadium Drive parking garage when they were struck by a 19-year-old student driving a 2005 four-door Nissan Altima. One student, 24, was transported to Prince George's County General Hospital with a possible head injury, according to University Police spokesman Capt. Marc Limansky. The other student, 31, was not injured and was not taken to the hospital.

Limansky said the student driver, who was also driving two passengers, did not see the two students crossing in the road before he hit them. The driver was cited for negligent driving with a $140 fine. He was also cited for failure to stop for a pedestrian in a crosswalk, which has no attached fine. However, the driver must appear in court, Limansky said. His car sustained minor damage to its hood.

Pedestrians getting hit on the campus is uncommon, Limansky said.

"It's very rare," he said. "It's pretty surprising, actually, given the amount people who cross the street on campus every day. It was dark and rainy, so that may have contributed to [last night's] accident, but it's still very rare."

More than 50 students gathered at the scene last night as five police cars, two ambulances and one firetruck blocked traffic near CSPAC. Sophomore biology major Nell Kropf watched the aftermath unfold from her Denton Hall dorm room window.

"I saw all of the flashing lights from my room," Kropf said. "It's really scary. I usually just cut in front of cars all the time because we have the right of way, but this is really scary. Pedestrians and drivers both need to be more careful."

Staff writer Spencer Israel contributed to this report. egan@umdbk.com