Student dies after being struck by car on SW 8th street

Guethshina Altena/ Assistant News Director

A freshman passed away after being hit by a vehicle while crossing SW 8th street and 109th avenue, near the Modesto Maidique Campus, Sunday, August 20, the day before the new fall semester.

The student was identified as 18-year-old Alexis Dale.

The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating the accident and Dale’s family has been notified.

Dale was from Denver, Colorado and had moved to FIU from San Diego, California, according to her Facebook, and had entered FIU as a freshmen during the summer B semester. She was majoring in Informational Technology, according to her profile.

Danielle Acebal, a freshman majoring in Health Sciences in the pre-nursing track, first met Dale at Freshmen Orientation in May 2017 in the Exploratory majors group.

“I didn’t know anyone in our group and when they separated us. She was the first one to come up to me and introduce herself,” Acebal said. “I wasn’t expecting to get to know her in the way that I did just in those two days of orientation.”

Dale was friendly and outgoing with the other students in the group, according to Acebal, but what stood out the most to Acebal about Dale was how excited she was to be living in Miami.

“When I think about Miami and how much we love this city, I will think of her because that is the one thing that stuck out to me the most, how much she loved it here, ” Acebal said.

Students, Acebal said, should be more aware of their surroundings, especially around roads, to make sure another tragedy like Dale’s doesn’t happen again.

“[S]ome people might think a car will stop for pedestrian, but sometimes they don’t,” Acebal said. “Hearing about a young FIU student’s life being taken hits close to home…”

But Tony Delgado, the ombudsman and assistant dean of students, wants to reassure students the school and its faculty are here to support them.

“We definitely care about our students and want to make sure that they are supported,” Delgado said.  “We are not sure, in terms of who may have known her and what the relationship may be, but we’re here to help and we encourage any students to come into our office [Dean of Students Office] if they’ve been personally affected.”

Counseling and Psychological Services will also be available for those affected by the incident and can be reached at the Student Health Center RM 270, 305-348-2277 or at their 24 hour hotline 305-340-300.

No services are scheduled at the moment, but the school is currently in communication with the family, according to Delgado.

 

FIU Student Media will update this story as more information becomes available.

 

Image retrieved from Flickr.