Status unknown of William & Mary student struck by SUV, investigation ongoing – Daily Press
WILLIAMSBURG — State Police are still investigating after an SUV driven by the president of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation struck a 21-year-old William & Mary student near campus last week.
The student was seriously injured in Thursday’s Richmond Road accident and was taken to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital. As of Monday, authorities had not updated the woman’s condition or provided any other details.
The SUV was driven by Cliff Fleet, president and CEO of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. The vehicle was headed east on Richmond Road near Armistead Avenue around 8:12 a.m. Oct. 26 when the student was struck, police said. The area is close to Sorority Court, where the university’s sorority houses are located.
State Police said last week that speed did not appear to be a factor, but authorities have not yet provided further details regarding the circumstances of the accident. The woman’s name has not been released. Her injuries were described Thursday as life-threatening, according to a city news release.
State Police spokeswoman Sgt. Michelle Anaya reiterated it on Monday. “All updates will be provided as soon as they are available for publication via a press release to everyone.”
Citing medical privacy laws, Anaya said state police are not authorized to release information about the woman’s condition. A William & Mary spokeswoman said updates on the woman’s condition should come from the hospital, but a hospital spokesperson said it could not provide an anonymous update.
In an email, Williamsburg spokeswoman Nicole Trevon directed inquiries about the incident to state police, which is leading the investigation at the city’s request. City police “felt that the Virginia State Police had the appropriate equipment and tools to be very helpful in investigating a crash of this type, especially given the severity of the injuries,” Trevon said.
Fleet, who is also listed as an assistant professor at the William & Mary College of Business, is fully cooperating with the investigation, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation spokeswoman Ellen Peltz said last week.
Williamsburg-James City District Attorney Nate Green, whose office has been consulting with investigators, said there is no timeline yet on when charges might be filed against Fleet, if any.
“We are working with the state police and communicating with them to receive briefings on what they initially found and we went out to the scene to review it as well,” Green said Monday. “We are continuing to review the information that the State Police is collecting and then we will ultimately make a decision on the appropriateness of the charges and what those charges should be.”
Sian Wilkerson, 757-342-6616, sian.wilkerson@pilotonline.com
