An unidentified woman walking with a Brown student was struck by a vehicle at the intersection of Thayer and Waterman Streets around 8 p.m. Friday.
The Department of Public Safety arrived at the scene within “three to five minutes,” said Natasha Nguyen ’15, who witnessed the accident. The Providence Fire Department arrived with an ambulance shortly after and transported the woman from the scene, Nguyen said.
The woman was walking south on Thayer Street and was crossing Waterman Street when she was hit, said Cynthia Susai '15, who witnessed the accident from the other side of Thayer and called DPS. The collision occurred when the vehicle turned left onto Waterman Street as the light changed to green, she said.
"The driver stopped right away," Susai said. "(The driver) didn't even run into her full force because she realized she was there and then stopped."
The woman "fell backward and hit her head," Susai said.
When struck, the woman was walking with a man who later identified himself to police as a Brown student, Susai said. The man was not injured "even though they were (walking) hand in hand," she added.
After the woman was hit, the student walking with her "came over and tried to get her up," Susai said. "They were on the sidewalk waiting when I called (DPS)." The driver of the vehicle asked if the woman was all right, “but she couldn't understand them because (the man and the woman) were both speaking Chinese," Susai said.
Police cars first blocked off traffic, and a fire truck arrived at the intersection and transported the woman and man from the scene, Susai said.
The woman "managed to walk to the ambulance by herself" after being hit, Nguyen said. "I think she's okay."
DPS declined to comment. The Providence Police Department directed questions to the Investigative Division, which did not respond to calls Friday night.
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