Dear Editor:

I was an avid walker. And every day I would walk the same route to/from work at UIC. On August 5, 2009, at 6:15 p.m., I was hit by a car on the southwest corner of Ashland and Polk. The make/model of the car that hit me is a Honda Accord, maroon in color.

As I was crossing on the green light, the walkman displayed. Passing the first stopped car at the light, the car started to move and hit me on my left side at the Honda Accord’s front grill. This left me standing. My immediate reaction was to bang on the car’s hood, which actually left a full hand print on the top of the car. However, the car kept moving and again hit my left hip. As a result I fell directly on my right side shattering my right hip and femur cap.

I was still on the ground when some med students dressed in blue scrubs rushed over to help. Other people gathered as well to try to help. Unfortunately, I was in such pain, the paramedics quickly rushed me to UIC/ER without me getting an eyewitness to this accident.

And as busy as Ashland and Polk streets are, there are no automatic cameras posted.

Two operations, nine months later, I have now graduated from a walker to a four-prong cane and am still unable to walk to work. And I still am experiencing daily pain in the hip/leg and knee.

UIC territory is dangerous for pedestrians. Cars need to slow down, especially around this campus as we have many patients that cross the street every day to get to outpatient care or the hospital.

If anyone has witnessed this accident, or knows of anyone that does pass the corner of Ashland and Polk on a regular basis and may have seen the accident, please contact Stan at (312) 399-1447.

This is very important as the insurance company of the driver of the car is denying payment.

Sincerely,

Donna L. Cooley-Elianow