 "Photo: Chad Simmons<i> The Daily Gamecock</i>")
Diana Skiles, a third-year exercise science student and sousaphone player for Carolina Band, was excited after the Gamecock’s win against Florida Atlantic Sept. 19. Around 11:30 p.m., she was crossing Sumter Street in front of the band building to head to IHOP with some friends when the unthinkable happened.
“The next thing I know, I’m on my back in the road,” Skiles said.
As Skiles crossed the street, she was hit by a car. The car was coming from the main part of campus, going about 45 mph, above the 25 mph speed limit, according to witnesses.
Skiles said she looked to her right and saw only darkness. When she looked to the left, there were headlights, but they were far away.
“She looked like a rag doll,” said Katie Hilliger, dance team coach and witness to the accident. “She was completely limp and landed flat on her back on the ground.”
Skiles was hit by the car, flipped through the air and then rolled across the hood of the car.
The car’s bumper and hood were bent and the front window was cracked.
Skiles went to the emergency room, but doesn’t remember many of the specifics of the accident. She kept telling everyone she was fine and would be marching in the game against Mississippi on Thursday.
Skiles sustained bumps and bruises all over her body and fractured her fibula. Doctors said she was lucky to not be in worse condition.
According to witnesses, a large truck in the road was blocking the car’s headlights from Skiles’ view, but the larger problem at hand is the safety of the area near the new band building.
With no painted pedestrian crosswalk, only two streetlights and railroad tracks obstructing people’s vision, crossing the street at night near the new band building is risky.
Band members and dance team members often have late rehearsals and practices. This means that 400 to 500 people are crossing the street in this area every night.
While there is a pedestrian crossing sign in the area, it is difficult to see at night. Cars are also often speeding down the hill.
“A pedestrian crossing sign is not enough,” Hilliger said. “People don’t pay attention to them, otherwise the woman wouldn’t have been going that fast down the hill.”
Skiles and others agree a painted pedestrian crosswalk as well as a pedestrian crossing sign with flashing lights are necessary for the safety of this area.
There are other areas on campus, such as the intersection of Wheat and Sumter streets, that have proved dangerous this semester. There have been several car accidents at the intersection, partly due to lack of lighting. The area is close to Café Verde and West Quad and students are concerned for their safety.
“I could see this happening again,” Skiles said.
Matt Ungar, a third-year public relations student and president pro-tempore of Student Government Senate, said SG is working to address the issue.
As the former Safety and Transportation Committee chairman, Ungar said SG will hold monthly safety walks in which problem areas of campus will be examined. They will then come up with a plan for university administration and city officials to fix the safety issues.
“There are easy fixes that will prevent this from happening again,” Ungar said. “We are really sorry that something like this had to happen to draw attention to this area of campus.”
The first safety walk is scheduled for this month and the area near the new band building will be of utmost priority.
University officials were contacted in regards to the incident but were unavailable for comment.
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