A well-known campus-area resident died Tuesday afternoon after she was struck by a car while trying to cross Franklin Boulevard on her bicycle.
Hatoon Victoria Adkins, 67, died at Sacred Heart Medical Center from injuries sustained when she was struck at about 1 p.m. by a motorist traveling east on Franklin Boulevard near the intersection of Onyx Street.
Eugene Police Department officer Randy Ellis, who is stationed at EPD’s University substation, confirmed that the deceased woman was Adkins, who lived on the sidewalk outside the University Bookstore.
Adkins had been a longtime resident of the area. University emeritus professor of English Edwin L. Coleman said he’s known Adkins for at least 30 years; Ellis said he has known her for more than 20.
University Bookstore employee Lynda Hadeen said Adkins lived near the bookstore since April 2000 and before that lived on the bench in front of the Knight Library.

Initial investigations and witnesses interviews indicated that the driver of the vehicle, 59-year-old George James King of Alvadore, entered the intersection with a green light when the collision occurred, according to EPD. Adkins appears to have been traveling north across the intersection against the signal when she was hit by King’s 1979 Chevrolet Malibu, according to EPD.
An EPD press release sent Tuesday evening stated the department did not expect to be able to notify Adkins’ family of her death on Tuesday.
Ellis and Coleman said Adkins had a daughter, but Ellis said he has been unable to locate her.
“We had been trying to figure out where her kids were, and, you know, we get a lot of bits and pieces of information, but everything we looked into was a dead end,” Ellis said, urging those with information about her to contact him. “Even if it’s only a rumor (or) speculation, chances are I’ve heard the information already, but somebody might have something that I don’t have, and that would help.”

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This article is paired with another Emerald article:
Losing Hatoon by Steven Neuman, Managing Editor