By Paul A. Anthony, Editor in Chief
In the wake of Monday night’s near-fatal accident on Campus Court, ACU Police Chief Jimmy Ellison warned students to slow down on campus roads while raising the possibility of stricter enforcement of area speed limits.
Ellison said he may study how best to enforce Campus Court’s 30 mile-per-hour speed limit after Allison Pool, senior education major from Colleyville, was struck while crossing the street by a pickup truck and suffered a broken pelvis and a collapsed lung.
“Enforcement of traffic laws on these streets is an area we’ve always avoided and left up to the city,” Ellison said. “But I’m getting to be of the opinion that we need to study that with the [Abilene Police Department].”
The driver of the truck-Alan Muns, senior biology major from Rockwall-was cited for passing unsafely on the left after a vehicle in front of him stopped for Pool.
Ellison said he is working with APD to use speed-tracking devices, which let drivers know how fast they are traveling, for Campus Court and East North 16th Street.
“Campus Court between 16th and Ambler is a problem,” Ellison said. “Sixteenth from Campus Court to Judge Ely [Boulevard] is equally a problem.”
The university has set up crosswalks in three locations-one on Campus Court and two on East North 16th-and is considering a third for East North 16th, Ellison said. However, he added, crosswalks only work when students use them properly.
“We need to educate students that they are required by law to yield to people in the crosswalk,” Ellison said, adding that pedestrians also are required to use available crosswalks. “That’s just going to be an educational process for driver and pedestrian alike.”
According to APD records, eight accidents have occurred on Campus Court since 2001. Monday’s accident occurred between Campus Court’s crosswalk and East North 18th Street.
The accident, which happened at 6:38 p.m., took place in a darker portion of the street, leading one student to argue the road needs better lighting.
“At night, it’s not well-lit,” said Macey Jones, freshman computer science major from Mansfield and a Mabee Hall resident. “There are more people who drive quickly through there, and that could help.”
Both Campus Court and East North 16th Street are used heavily by students crossing to parking lots lining those streets. Crosswalk and speeding concerns have long been discussed as problems on those streets.
“The stop sign [where Campus Court and East North 16th meet] by University Church-I guess a lot of people don’t completely stop,” said Brittany Basshan, sophomore education science major from Arlington who lived in Gardner Hall last year.
The possible third crosswalk across East North 16th would stretch from Gardner to a student lot north of Taylor Elementary School, Ellison said.
Another stop sign also is a concern: the four-way stop on Campus Court.
“I haven’t really seen people [run the stop sign],” Jones sad, “but I’ve seen people go right up to the stop sign like they’re not going to stop, and then decide at the last minute they’re going to.”
Ellison urged students both walking and driving to be careful on the campus’ busy streets.
“We’ve got to slow down around campus or these kinds of accidents are going to happen,” he said. “We’re all motorists at times, and we’re all pedestrians at times. We’ve got to be responsible both times.”
