USC student sues SCDOT after Five Points crosswalk crash. Here's what to know

A University of South Carolina student is suing the South Carolina Department of Transportation and the city of Columbia after she was hit by a car in a newly installed Harden Street crosswalk. SCDOT is pushing back, claiming the student was “negligent and reckless” when crossing the street.

FULL STORY: SCDOT claims ‘recklessness’ by USC student hit by car in Five Points; she’s suing

Here are key takeaways:

• Maya Trowbridge was crossing Harden Street with a friend on Oct. 31, 2025, when a driver in the far lane struck her after another vehicle had stopped to let them cross. The driver briefly stopped, then left the scene.
• Trowbridge suffered multiple fractures, including a hip fracture, and spent much of her sophomore spring semester recovering at home in Pennsylvania, her attorney Drew Richardson said.
• SCDOT argues Trowbridge’s claims should be barred because she failed to activate the crosswalk’s caution lights and failed to keep “a proper lookout.” Richardson called it “far-fetched” to label her reckless for using the crosswalk as intended.
• The lawsuit questions the effectiveness of a $5 million Harden Street safety project completed in July 2025, which followed a 2019 study finding the road was the state’s most dangerous for pedestrians.
• The city of Columbia is also seeking dismissal, arguing Harden Street is state-owned and not its responsibility. Trowbridge is demanding a jury trial and seeking punitive and actual damages.

The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The full story in the link at top was reported, written and edited entirely by journalists.