Pedestrian Struck by Car in Princeton Wednesday Night

princetonpolice_2On Wednesday night, April 8, a pedestrian was hit by a car when crossing Washington Road. The pedestrian, a graduate student at Princeton University, suffered extensive injuries.

At about 9:32 p.m. Wednesday night a 2008 Toyota Prius was travelling southbound on Washington Road approaching the area of the marked crosswalk located on Washington Road just south of Ivy Lane. The Toyota Prius was operated by Steven G. Cruz, 20, of Princeton. There were no other occupants in the vehicle.

Graduate student Nyssa Emerson, 25, was crossing from the west side of Washington Road to the east side when she was struck by the Toyota. She was crossing the street in the marked crosswalk, located on Washington Road, just south of Ivy Lane.

Emerson suffered extensive injuries and she was transported by the Princeton First Aid and Rescue Squad to Capital Health Regional Medical Center in Trenton.

“Our department was advised by medical staff that Emerson suffered significant injuries as a result of the crash and she was in guarded but stable condition,” police said.

Charges are pending against Cruz. The Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office Serious Collision Response Team assisted with the investigation, which is being conducted by Ptl. Marshall Provost. The roadway was closed during the investigation.

At the time of the collision it was raining lightly and the roadway was wet. The Toyota Prius suffered front end and windshield damage and it was towed from the scene by Stewart’s Towing.

6 Comments

  1. That is such a dangerous stretch, I had to cross in that area for years myself, and more than once complained (to town and gown) that it cried out for regular police presence to remind motorists not to speed and to watch for pedestrians. When I heard of an accident last night, I just knew that was what had (finally) happened. What a shame, and I hope Ms. Emerson makes a full recovery.

  2. I feel so badly for both the injured woman and the driver as well. Their lives will never be the same. I don’t know why there are no stop signs at these intersections, this way each party knows exactly what to do. Several pedestrians no longer look before they cross, since it is now a law. I would rather not put my life in the hands of a driver that may or may not stop. Drivers can get tickets or maybe jail time but pedestrians can die. I wish Ms. Emerson well.

    1. I know it’s the law (which I obey!) that pedestrians have r-o-w in crosswalks, but some think they are invulnerable to speeding or distracted drivers (which I admit to occasionally being). This could have happened to a lot of drivers/pedestrians and is a warning to us all.

      Driver is clearly in the wrong, but I wonder if Ms. Emerson “looked both ways”.

      University has added 2 new lights in last 10 years and built a monstrosity of a bridge, but also expanded its campus and expected thousands of its students to cross a major county road several times each day. This was unfortunately inevitable.

      1. So what I hear you saying Jim is that it is the pedestrian’s fault in this case…that is a horrible stance to take. A driver is always responsible for minding a crosswalk…a pedestrian in a crosswalk is ALWAYS in the right, and a car (a 2 ton vehicle) is a weapon…and NEVER in the right…it is equivalent to blaming a rapist for overriding “no means no…”

  3. Isn’t there a traffic light right at Ivy and Washington? Story could use a bit more clarification.

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