Escort van carrying students hit by truck

An Escort Service van was struck in the side last night near 30th Street Station with two University students on board, one passenger said last night. The student said no one was injured in the accident. While in the far left lane of 32nd Street, the driver tried to turn right onto Market Street and was hit when it passed in front of a truck, passenger Amy Schiffman, a College sophomore, said. University Police Sergeant Thomas Messner said no ticket was issued and there was minimal damage to the vehicles. The student whom the passenger said was the driver declined to comment about the accident. Escort Service workers would not comment about the accident last night, and no Department of Transportation and Parking officials could be reached. The driver of the truck applied his brakes but was unable to avoid striking the side of the van, Schiffman said. She said that after the van was hit, the driver pulled to the side of the road and then did nothing. "The [Escort] driver just sat there like 'duh, duh,' " she said. After pulling over, the driver of the truck approached the van, she said. Schiffman said they saw little damage to either vehicle and she said "the truck driver said 'We can just let this go if you want to.' " Moments later, Schiffman and the other passenger were picked up by another Escort van and taken to their destinations. Schiffman said she is angered by Escort Service's apparent lack of concern about the accident. She said she called Escort Service after the accident, and officials were rude to her and then hung up on her. She also said that Escort Service officials told her the driver "has been released from all responsibility" for the accident. She said she thought they treated the incident as if it "was just like an everyday occurrence. They didn't ask if anyone was hurt." She said the driver did not apologize for the accident and appeared unconcerned about any possible injuries. "He could have killed me because he decided to cut in front of the truck," Schiffman said. "He drove like he was in a video game." Schiffman said that she plans to file a formal complaint about the accident and Escort Service's handling of it. Schiffman said last night she does not know how she will get around campus now, saying that she plans to boycott Escort Service because of the incident. "I feel more likely to get in an accident in an Escort van than to get injured walking on campus," Schiffman said. Assistant to the President William Epstein last night said he had not heard of the accident and added that "I haven't heard of any other accidents in my years at the University."

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