Serving the GW Community since 1904

The GW Hatchet

AN INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SERVING THE GW COMMUNITY SINCE 1904

The GW Hatchet

Serving the GW Community since 1904

The GW Hatchet

NEWSLETTER
Sign up for our twice-weekly newsletter!

Officials name senior vice president, chief of staff
By Fiona Riley, Assistant News Editor • March 26, 2024

4-RIDE van causes crash

A 4-RIDE van carrying two students crashed into another vehicle on 23rd Street early Tuesday morning.

The van crashed immediately after picking up two students at Ivory Tower while making a U-turn on 23rd Street, said seniors Mark Doumba and Jeremiah Burke, the passengers. There were no injuries reported.

“He had just picked us up and we were going to the library,” Doumba said. “We started doing the U-turn when the car going in the same direction in the left lane just hit us.”

The driver hit his head against the window and appeared dazed, and the van then crossed into oncoming traffic, Doumba said.

“It’s a double yellow line and the driver should have looked before he turned,” Burke said. “I think it’s pretty obvious who was at fault.”

Metropolitan Police Department cited the driver for turning from the wrong lane, said Dolores Stafford, chief of the University Police Department.

“The driver attempted to turn and another car was in his blind spot – which caused a collision between two vehicles,” Stafford wrote in an e-mail.

EMeRG responded and assessed the drivers and passengers. Stafford said no injuries were reported on scene, but Doumba went to GW Hospital that afternoon, he said. He was diagnosed with a lower back sprain.

“It’s good we have this mode of transportation,” Doumba said, “but it has to be safe for students.” 4-RIDE is a complimentary transportation service offered by the University Police Department.

Wend Kumi, the driver of the damaged car, said he tried to turn away from the van.

“I tried to avoid him,” said Kumi, a 23-year-old University of the Disctrict of Columbia student. “All that damage on my car, it’s just the front from (this accident). This is the third time (this vehicle was in an accident) this year.”

Doumba said another 4-RIDE driver who arrived on scene after the accident apologized and said the person responsible for the accident was new on the job. Stafford confirmed that the driver was “fairly new” and this was his first accident.

Stafford declined to name the driver and discuss personnel matters or disciplinary actions.

Burke and Doumba, who are roommates were going to Gelman Library to work on papers.

“We’re not going to go through this next time,” Doumba said. “It was kind of lazy to 4-RIDE to the library.”

More to Discover
Donate to The GW Hatchet