University Police advises the campus community to be aware of personal transportation policies following a traffic collision Sept. 4 involving a student.
The collision occurred around 6 p.m. at the intersection of Sugar Road and Schunior Street in Edinburg when a student rode a scooter into the crosswalk as a vehicle was making a right turn onto Schunior Street.
The Edinburg Police Department had already arrived on the scene and investigated the traffic collision prior to the arrival of University Police. Emergency medical services transported the injured student to a hospital.
University Police did not handle the investigation for the case.
“I think it is important for our community to be aware that just because they are entering a crosswalk, for their own safety, it is always important to stop, look both ways, and make sure vehicles see them,” said Esmeralda Guerra, assistant chief of the UTRGV Police Department. “I think it’s important even though it’s at a traffic light and they might have … the little pedestrian sign that says you have 10 seconds to cross. It is always good to stay aware of your surroundings.”
Guerra advised not to be looking at cell phones or be busy talking on the phone before and while crossing the street because drivers could also be distracted.
According to the UTRGV Personal Transportation Riding Devices policy, individuals using a personal transportation riding device should dismount and walk across all designated crosswalks. People should also dismount in areas that “present heightened risk of personal injury,” including heavy pedestrian traffic and construction zones.
