A car drove into a ditch behind Arrendale Library on Friday, Nov. 15, sparking a stir on social media and prompting a swift response from emergency services.
When the accident occurred, the first responding officer was Officer Chad Mealor, followed by Chief Andrews. The officers ensured the safety of the students involved, who will remain unnamed.
As the crash was on Massachusetts Boulevard, the road is not Piedmont University property. However, campus police leaped to the scene, happy to help.
Officer Bill Edwards said, “Officer Chad Mealor was the first on the scene and ensured the students involved were okay. Additionally, he identified all factors so that when Demorest police arrived, we had all the necessary information.”
The students involved were shaken but unharmed. The cause of the crash is still unknown; however, the consensus was the driver was distracted.
“All I heard was a loud thud while I was taking a test in the library,” said senior David Anderson. “I figured it was someone dropping something, but then I saw the crash and was shocked.”
Piedmont University has had issues with driving safety for quite some time now. There have been instances of cars driving around the older speed bump to avoid it, only to hit another person’s car. On Nov. 12, a student on the Piedmont app, Jaslyn Lee, posted about an incident where she said she witnessed a student jumping out of the way of a car while on the crosswalk. A student also was struck by a vehicle by a distracted driver in April 2023.
Based on the reports done by the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, “In 2021, young drivers in the 18-to-20 age group experienced more than double the number of motor vehicle crashes and had a higher rate of involvement in fatal crashes compared to drivers in the 15-to-17 age group.”
Here are some tips on how to drive safely:
- Observe speed limits and traffic laws.
- Do not drive distracted.
- Wear a seatbelt.
- Maintain a safe driving distance.
- Be prepared to engage in defensive driving.
