A female Syracuse University freshman is listed in fair condition after she was struck by a car at the intersection of University Place and Comstock Avenue at approximately 6:45 p.m. Wednesday.

Justin Prince, a junior marketing major, was driving toward South Campus on Comstock Avenue in a green Toyota Avalon with Pennsylvania license plates when he hit the student, who was thrown 40 feet.

The student was both conscious and responsive in the ambulance while she was being transported to University Medical Hospital, said Kevin Morrow, SU spokesman. However, she did suffer a head injury, Morrow said.

The student was walking against the signal across Comstock Avenue toward campus, Morrow said. The northbound lanes were clear, and two cars had paused in the median southbound lane as the first was attempting to turn left, Morrow said. The student crossed between the two paused cars and was struck by a car in the southbound curb lane, Morrow said.

The bottom left corner of Prince’s car was cracked and its front left fender was dented.

There were witnesses on both curbs who were attempting to cross the street.

‘There were no cars, so we crossed on the red, and halfway through the intersection, I noticed a car coming so I ran quickly to the curb,’ said Becky Lubin, a sophomore child and family studies major. ‘I guess the girl didn’t see it.’

Several students saw the incident.

‘I saw her and a friend run across the street, but [the girl who was hit] paused at the yellow line, deciding if she should go,’ said Amy Kershner, an undeclared freshman in the S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and eyewitness to the accident.

While Kershner said she was in shock and couldn’t move, she said other students rushed to her side.

‘A mother came out of her car and was holding her head and trying to talk to her,’ said Kershner, who added that they were both going to the 7 p.m. Carol Parcum lecture in Newhouse.

University Medical Hospital officials were unable to tell how long the student will be recovering.

Asst. news editor John Nuthall contributed to this report.

Published on September 10, 2003 at 12:00 pm