Since 21-year-old Jukenda Thomas was charged with hitting three University of Wisconsin students while drunk driving early March 12, one freshman remains in stable condition while two sophomores have been released from the hospital with broken bones.
According to one of the sophomores who wished to remain anonymous, the students were walking home from a friend’s house late on the snowy night.
As they were crossing at the Park Street and Regent Street intersection, a university police car slowed to let them pass while another car probably swerved around the police car and did not see the students, he added.
He said everything the students know about the accident is what they have been told by others.
“I remember probably about a minute before the accident, and after that, we got hit in the head,” he said. “No one remembers anything about it.”
He said his friend, a freshman who is still currently in the hospital, “took the majority of the blow to her head.”
The freshman’s brother, UW senior Brent Wingers, said she is in stable condition and has moved from the intensive care unit to rehab. Wingers said his sister is doing physical therapy and working on motor skills and coordination.
“When she came in she had severe head trauma,” Wingers said. “She’s making progress. She’s doing well.”
The third student is out of the hospital with a broken shoulder and torn ACL.
According to the Madison Police Department’s 2004 “Calls for Service” report, nearly 600 driving-while-intoxicated arrests were made last year. The number increased from approximately 450 incidents in 2003.
Public Information Officer for the MPD Mike Hanson said night or day, there is a huge risk of pedestrians getting hit by oncoming vehicles in Madison, where there is a high volume of pedestrians and traffic.
Other factors, such as the alcohol consumption of pedestrians and drivers in a college town like Madison, leads to an even higher risk, Hanson added.
“[Pedestrians] are so trusting of cars stopping for them,” Hanson said. “The pedestrians walk halfway in the middle of the crosswalk before realizing the car is not going to stop.”
Hanson said pedestrians need to be aware of their surroundings, and drivers need to be aware of the pedestrian’s right of way, especially while downtown at night.
“I guess it makes you take things into perspective,” Wingers said. “Thanks to everyone who has shown support to all of us.”
