Truck backs into dining hall; injures female pedestrian

BY Rory Sa

A woman was injured and taken from campus Sunday night after she was hit by a truck just outside the library.

At about 7:20 p.m. a black Chevy Silverado, driving backwards, flattened a handicap sign then leapt the curb along the library parking lot, Lot E.

Student Jose Luis Mendoza, who witnessed the accident, said the truck was going anywhere from 20 to 30 miles an hour.

“ We didn’t know if he was able to stop or not,” Mendoza said.

Students tried to flee from the truck as it tried to veer away from the library, eyewitnesses said. The woman was then hit by the truck.

The truck continued backwards until it crashed into the greenery in front of the Residence Dining Hall.

There was a large dent in the tailgate, but otherwise the truck appeared undamaged.

A student ran to an emergency phone and called campus police. Within minutes three police cars, an ambulance and a fire engine arrived on the scene. Witnesses said the woman complained of back pain and leg pain.

Witnesses and nearby bystanders gathered near the scene of the accident as the woman was lifted into the ambulance. Several students paused to learn what happened from bystanders.

The woman was taken from the scene by ambulance. Further details about the woman and her condition were unavailable at this time, police said. They declined to comment further on the accident.

Witnesses said the driver told police that his breaks were not working. The driver was overheard saying he’d tried to use the parking brake, but it didn’t work.

The driver declined to comment.