UNC student hit by car on MLK Tuesday night

A UNC student was hit by a car Tuesday night while crossing the street at the intersection of Weaver Dairy Road and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, fueling concerns about the safety of pedestrians on one of Chapel Hill’s most heavily trafficked roads.

The student, John Ward, showed no signs of serious external injury, but he was taken to UNC Hospitals for an evaluation, said Sgt. Josh Mecimore, spokesman for the Chapel Hill Police Department.

The incident was reported at 8:32 p.m. Tuesday, according to Chapel Hill police reports.

Ward said he does not remember the incident.

“I really can’t recall anything about the accident at the time due to amnesia caused by a concussion from the accident,” Ward said in a Facebook message.

After hitting Ward, the driver briefly continued driving until she reached a parking lot where she turned around and then returned to the scene, Mecimore said.

The driver was cited for failing to stop her vehicle after striking a pedestrian.

Mecimore said the responsibility to stop immediately after an accident falls on the driver. He added that the driver involved in the incident will be appearing in court for the citation.

Mecimore said the police department does not suspect the driver was under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

In the past week, two residents have complained to the Chapel Hill Town Council about the intersection.

In emails to the council, Tom Loughrey and Rich Godfrey both said they think the street is hazardous.

“I habitually drive in the right hand lane and have witnessed several incidents where drivers in the left hand lane have not seen the pedestrian, been inattentive or simply decided to drive on,” Godfrey said in the email.

Loughrey also expressed concerns about the crosswalks on the road.

“The new crosswalks are going to get someone killed. The idea of the crosswalks is a nice one, but in practicality, they create confusion and danger,” he said in his email to the council.

Kumar Neppalli, traffic engineer for Chapel Hill, said all crosswalks along the boulevard are in accordance with state standards.

Mecimore said he doesn’t think pedestrians are hit often on the boulevard. He estimated that fewer than five are hit on road each year.

He also said he has not received complaints from the public concerning road safety in the area.

“I have not, as the public information officer, seen any feedback from the public related to safety concerns in this area of MLK near Weaver Dairy,” he said.

But Neppalli said he thinks the town could implement more safety measures.

He said the town is currently waiting for state approval to install flashing beacons with signs before the crosswalks on the road.

Contact the desk editor at city@dailytarheel.com.