Pedestrian hit at Stewart and Providence roads

COLUMBIA — A woman walking across Providence Road near Stewart Road was hit by a car shortly after 1 a.m. Friday and was in critical condition.

A southbound 2007 Mercury Milan struck the eastbound pedestrian approximately 50 feet south of Stewart Road, said officer Jessie Haden, spokeswoman for the Columbia Police Department.

The Milan was stopped at a red light and continued south on Providence Road when the light turned green, Haden said. A witness reported that the car did brake before hitting the pedestrian, whose body struck the car's hood and windshield. Driving the car was a 19-year-old male with two 21-year-old passengers.

"All were wearing seatbelts," Haden said. "This probably contributed to them not being injured."

As of 10:26 a.m., the woman, 23, was at University Hospital and had not undergone surgery because she was not stabilized, Haden said. The pedestrian had skull and spinal fractures from the collision.

Haden said she would not give out the woman's name because she was unsure whether her family had been contacted.