Investigation under way following IUN student being hit by car on Broadway

GARY | An Indiana University Northwest student who was injured in a car accident at a crosswalk at 3400 Broadway wonders what more the university can do to make the area safe for pedestrians.

Senior Juan Suarez, 22, of Hobart, who plans to graduate in December, said he was hit by a car Sept. 22 while crossing the street.

"I pressed the button. I had left Hawthorne Hall and was going to my car," he said. "The first car at the crosswalk stopped, and I started walking. The second car did not stop."

Suarez said he went airborne, rolling off the car. He said he suffered several injuries, including fractures and a concussion. Suarez said the 30-year-old Gary woman who hit him did not have insurance or a license. He has hired an attorney, and a court date is set for next month.

Suarez, who is on crutches and can't drive, said he had to drop two of his five classes. Three of his professors are allowing him to take their classes online.

IUN officials released a statement in response to the incident.

"The safety of our students, faculty and staff is of the utmost importance at Indiana University Northwest," the statement reads. "IU Northwest understands the challenges posed by the crosswalk at 34th Avenue and State Road 53 (Broadway) and has repeatedly expressed those concerns to the Indiana Department of Transportation. It is important to note that Broadway is a state highway overseen by INDOT; therefore, IU Northwest has no authority to make any safety upgrades to the road. But IU Northwest and INDOT have partnered in support of pedestrian safety, and the university will continue to encourage INDOT to consider additional safety measures at 34th and Broadway."

IUN spokesman Chris Sheid said incidents involving pedestrians and motorists along Broadway near the university are not common, but the IUN Police Department responded to two incidents in the fall of 2010 and one in fall 2009. The 2009 incident, in which a faculty member was struck and injured by a vehicle on Broadway, prompted the INDOT-approved safety upgrades that were made in 2010, Sheid said.

INDOT spokesman Jim Pinkerton said last summer INDOT installed a push-button device to activate the lights, indicating someone was ready to cross.

Pinkerton said INDOT is investigating Suarez's Sept. 22 accident and a report should be complete in about a month. He said the investigation will address what else INDOT can do to improve traffic flow and pedestrian safety.

The IUN Police Department has increased police presence along Broadway, Sheid said. Individuals who exceed Broadway's 30 mph speed limit will continue to be ticketed. IUN police officers, separate from other local law enforcement patrolling the highway, have written about 400 traffic tickets on Broadway since the start of this semester.