A 74-year-old Princeton man suffered a serious head injury after he was struck by a minivan as he was crossing Sylvia Beach Way at Wiggins Street shortly before 4 p.m. March 11, according to the Princeton Police Department.
The pedestrian was walking east on the south side of Wiggins Street alongside of the Princeton Public Library. The minivan, which was being driven by a 17-year-old juvenile, made a left turn from Wiggins Street onto Sylvia Beach Way and struck the man, police said.
Sylvia Beach Way doubles as a secondary entrance to the Spring Street municipal parking garage and the rear entrance to the Princeton Public Library.
The first responding police officers found the man, who appeared to have been seriously injured, and called for emergency medical assistance.
The Princeton Fire Department, emergency medical technicians from West Windsor Township and paramedics from Capital Health arrived on the scene and determined that the man needed to be transported immediately by helicopter to Capital Health Regional Medical Center in Trenton.
The Princeton Fire Department and other agencies helped with the creation of a landing zone at Princeton High School. The man was taken by ambulance to the helicopter landing site and flown to Capital Health Regional Medical Center, where he remained in serious condition on March 12, police said.
Wiggins Street was closed between Witherspoon Street and Vandeventer Avenue until nearly 8 p.m. during the crash investigation.
The Princeton Police Department Traffic Safety Bureau and the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office are investigating the crash. Witnesses are asked to contact Patrol Officer Jonathan Myzie at (609) 921-2100, ext. 1875.