Around 1:13 a.m. on Monday, a Penn student was struck by a car on the corner of 40th and Walnut streets, according to Vice President for Public Safety Maureen Rush. The vehicle was driving westbound on Walnut and hit him crossing the street.
A spokesperson for the Philadelphia Police Department said the patient is in critical condition and that PPD will be handling the investigation.
Rush said in an interview with The Daily Pennsylvanian that the driver was arrested at the scene for driving under the influence. The incident was not related to alcohol, Rush said.
The PPD spokesperson said the case had been filed as a "DUI," but could not specify whether it was unrelated to alcohol. The Accident Investigation Division of the PPD is still running tests to determine what substance the driver was using, the spokesperson said.
The student had crossed against the light and was severely injured by the accident, Rush said. Penn Police and Penn's Medical Emergency Response Team treated him at the scene and stabilized him until medics from the Philadelphia Fire Department EMS team arrived.
Chief of Medical Emergency Response Team and Engineering senior Daniel Klyde said in an email that MERT had no additional background information on the incident or the driver.
Rush said the student was transported to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center and his family is set to arrive soon. DPS Special Services is providing support at the hospital.
Design Editor Chris Muracca contributed reporting to this story.
Editor's Note: Due to incomplete information from the Division of Public Safety, this article previously stated that it was a Penn graduate who was struck by a car, when it was actually a current student.
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