While guiding pedestrians after the UNC-Davidson basketball game Wednesday night, a traffic officer was struck by a drunken driver at the intersection of Ridge Road and Stadium Drive.
The incident was one of two traffic accidents on campus Wednesday involving a pedestrian.
The vehicle was traveling south on Ridge Road at 10:23 p.m. when a 44-year-old woman was directing traffic as part of contracted security, University police reports state.
According to reports, the victim said she saw the vehicle approaching her at a high speed and she attempted to signal the vehicle to stop by waving her flashlight.
Reports state that the victim saw the vehicle was not going to stop and tried to get out of the way but was struck by the right front portion of the vehicle.
She appeared to have suffered back and hip injuries and was transported to UNC Hospitals, reports state.
University police administered a breath-alcohol test to the driver of the vehicle, Betty Jean Hardy, 46, of Chapel Hill, at the scene and arrested her for driving while intoxicated after she registered a blood alcohol content of .17, reports state. Hardy was traveling at 15 mph when she hit the victim, reports state.
LaBron Reed, director of special events at McLaurin Parking Company, the company for which the victim worked, said he can recall other incidents where traffic officers have been bumped by cars. "This is the most serious accident we've had in years," he said.
Reed said the victim was released from the hospital and is at home resting.
