POSTED OCT. 15 AT 7:09 P.M.
The Miami Hurricane has obtained the names of two students involved in Sunday evening’s incident on Ponce de Leon Boulevard:
Joseph Ianelli was the student struck while walking across Ponce and Lynette Otwoma was the driver, said Margot Winick, executive director of Media Relations.
Ianelli was taken to Doctor’s Hospital after the incident and was released immediately after, Winick said in a phone interview Monday afternoon.
Winick said the official report was still incomplete and police are still investigating. She had no further details.
Continue to check TheMiamiHurricane.com for updates.
Compiled by News Editor Karyn Meshbane.
POSTED OCT. 14 AT 11:59 P.M.
UPDATED OCT. 15 AT 1:38 A.M.
A male University of Miami student was struck by a female student in a car while crossing Ponce de Leon Boulevard by the Metrorail station Sunday evening, student witnesses reported.
Margot Winick, executive director of Media Relations, said at the time of publication that the university had received preliminary reports of the incident and that the Coral Gables Police Department was investigating. She did not have either of the names of the students involved.
Gabe Elias, a sophomore, said he walked by the scene after the incident at about 7:45 p.m. and saw the victim–a male, approximately 18 to 19 years old–sitting up on the median and talking with police.
“It didn’t look like he was that badly injured,” Elias said in a phone interview with The Miami Hurricane late Sunday evening.
The Hurricane first learned of the incident sometime before 11 p.m. when a reporter who drove past the scene called a section editor.
Elias, who did not witness the incident, said the injured pedestrian was wearing a UM T-shirt with dirt on the back, as if he had been hit and landed on the median.
There were five squad cars at the scene when Elias arrived. It was not clear whether the student was jaywalking or the driver ran a red light.
Elias said the female student’s car had a University Village parking permit.
An ambulance arrived shortly after the incident, though Elias said he did not see the pedestrian on a stretcher at any point.
This incident comes less than a month after planners met to discuss to designs for an overpass bride to be built at a nearby U.S. 1 crosswalk. Efforts to construct a bridge were renewed after the April 11, 2005 death of freshmen Ashley Kelly.
The initiative for an overpass originally began after an incident on Feb. 8, 1998 when a junior was killed on Ponce de Leon Boulevard.
Continue to check www.TheMiamiHurricane.com for updates and continuing coverage.
News Editor Karyn Meshbane contributed to this report.
Greg Linch may be contacted at gregl@miami.edu.
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Recent coverage
NEWS 10-1-07: Planners discuss U.S. 1 walkway
Past coverage
NEWS 4-15-05: Tragedy hits – Student hit by car dies Tuesday of injuries
OPINION: 4-15-05: The time for action is now
NEWS: 4-19-05: UM community celebrates life of Ashley Kelly in vigil
OPINION 4-22-05: Action, not blame
NEWS 4-26-05: Pedestrian overpass efforts move forward
NEWS 8-1-05: Tragedy sparks push for U.S. 1 pedestrian bridge
NEWS 8-30-05: New shuttle route aims to protect UM pedestrians
NEWS 9-23-05: Driver sentenced for U.S.1 pedestrian accident
OPINION: 9-23-05: Insufficient closure
NEWS 4-11-06: Plans still under way for overpass construction
OPINION 4-11-06: In loving memory of Ashley Kelly