Pitt student tries to beat traffic, gets hit by Taurus

By ERIK ARROYO

A Pitt student crossing Fifth Avenue last week was struck by a car, causing him to roll… A Pitt student crossing Fifth Avenue last week was struck by a car, causing him to roll onto the hood and smash the car’s windshield with his forehead, according to a University police report.

City and Pitt emergency personnel responded to the accident at the intersection of Fifth and Tennyson avenues at noon Thursday, where they found the student receiving first aid from the driver that struck him.

According to the police report, the driver was following westbound traffic on Fifth Avenue in the third lane from the right. The report indicated that as he approached Tennyson Avenue, a large white van and a Port Authority bus were already stopped at the intersection in the lanes to his right.

As the traffic light turned green on Fifth Avenue, the driver proceeded without accelerating just as the student walked toward the Cathedral of Learning from Tennyson Avenue, according to the report. The student was attempting to beat the oncoming traffic.

The police report stated that the student managed to cross in front of the bus and van, but the driver never saw the student before striking him with his red Ford Taurus.

After impact, the driver immediately began administering first aid in the backseat of his car by applying pressure to the two-inch laceration above the student’s left eyebrow. No major injuries were sustained.

The student was then transported to the UPMC Presbyterian Hospital Emergency Room to receive treatment and has since been released.