A student was recently involved in an accident on the USM Campus in Orono involving a campus maintenance vehicle. The student was taken to the local hospital with minor injuries.

 Around 9:30 am on Friday, April.19th a student was struck on Long Road on the USM Orono campus, by a Chevrolet Express van that was being operated by a university employee. This incident caused the school to shut down Long Road, for a short period of time. But was later re-opened after the scene was cleared. A statement was released by USM later that day “The scene has been cleared and Long Road is now accessible. An investigation is being conducted by the University of Maine Police Department with assistance from the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office Crash Reconstruction Unit. Counseling services and support are available for students, faculty, or staff who may have been affected. The Counseling Center can be reached at 207-581-1392 and the Dean of Students Office can be reached at 207-581-1406.”

This is a brutal reminder that pedestrian safety is all to relevant in today’s world. Especially considering the amount of technology we have today. So many people are glued to their phones and aren’t paying any attention to the world around them. It is ever so important that everybody including drivers, are aware of pedestrians, and people who are pedestrians need to be more aware of their surroundings.