VCU student dies in traffic incident, university campaigns safety initiatives

Varsha Vasudevan, Staff Writer

Sarah Hagen, Contributing Writer 

VCU student Mahrokh Khan died after being hit by a vehicle while crossing the street on the morning of Jan. 27, according to a VCU statement. 

Khan was crossing the road at the intersection of Laurel and West Main streets and was transported to VCU Medical Center after the incident. She was later pronounced dead there, according to the statement. 

The statement shared mental health resources for students and stated the Richmond Police Department is still actively investigating the incident. 

“We remind all community members to please be aware of the importance of sharing the roads in and around VCU,” the statement read. “Please follow posted speed limits, travel slowly through busy intersections and keep an eye out for others on roadways.”

VCU Chief of Police John Venuti released a statement following the traffic incident, assuring VCU Police’s commitment to the safety of its community members. 

“We want to assure you that we’re working routinely with city officials and other policing agencies to address traffic concerns and keep roads safe,” the release stated. “While we continue to work with the city, we respectfully ask everyone to be aware of their surroundings and to practice safe habits.”

VCU Police announced a new campaign initiative following Khan’s death to increase the enforcement of traffic laws, according to a VCU News article. 

“The goals of the campaign are to encourage safer behaviors by drivers, cyclists and pedestrians, and to decrease accidents,” the article states. “Outreach will include officers speaking with community members at crosswalks, hosting outreach events and distributing safety information in VCU’s parking facilities.

VCU Police has been working on increasing “enforcement and outreach” on traffic safety, and the campaign initiative is a big part of this, according to VCU Police spokesperson Corey Byers. The first event was on Feb. 8, but Byers said there may be more. 

VCU police officers were dressed in referee uniforms during the safety initiative and they blew whistles and threw down flags whenever a pedestrian violated crossing rules such as walking during a red light or outside of the crosswalk. 

“We’re also going to be working with other agencies, with Richmond Police and state police, to have some initiatives for traffic, so specifically for vehicles,” Byers said. “We’re hoping that having these touchpoints and talking to people just raises that awareness.” 

The idea of this campaign is to speak with the people that use busy intersections everyday and raise awareness about crossing rules and pedestrian safety, according to Byers. 

“Our hope is that people are just making those safe habits more routine, day to day and just being more mindful when they’re out,” Byers said. “That’s whether they’re driving or they’re cycling or they’re walking.” 

A week after Khan’s death on Feb. 2, another woman was hit by a car at the West Grace and North Harrison intersection. 

There is no information about the pedestrian except that she is recovering in the hospital. The driver was “cited for failure to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk,” according to WRIC. 

Freshman psychology student Caroline Masterson said she does not feel safe walking past Laurel and Main, and Main Street in general.  

“It is so stressful because VCU students are ruthless,” Masterson said. “They will just book it if there’s even a sliver of time to get across the road.”

Freshman art history student Liliana Faircloth said safety has never really crossed her mind while walking through the city in the past, but since Khan’s death, it’s been at the front of her thoughts. 

Faircloth said she walks past the Laurel and Main intersection every day, and it feels especially unsafe because the parking garage nearby houses a lot of commuters and increases the number of cars. 

More crossing guards, like the ones stationed outside the University Student Commons, should be put at busy intersections to reduce reckless driving, according to Faircloth.

Faircloth said she sees a lot of people ignore the light at the intersection, both drivers and pedestrians, so a crossing guard enforcing it would make her feel safer and reduce the frustration that results in jaywalking and running lights. 

Sophomore advertising student Carolina Gomez said she thinks the area around campus is safer because drivers expect a lot of student pedestrians but feels unsafe traveling on foot and by car in her home at Shockoe Bottom. 

Gomez said close calls while driving are far too frequent “because people were speeding” and being “selfish drivers.”

“I literally can’t even cross the street where I live because the drivers are very aggressive and will not stop,” Gomez said. “Driving is literally awful. I actually almost got in an accident today, because people are just so impatient and don’t even give a second thought.”