21-year-old University student badly sprained his ankle early Sunday morning after he ran into the street near Rennie’s Landing and collided with a vehicle, breaking off its driver’s side mirror, according to police and the student. The driver left the scene of the accident.
Jake Peterson, a junior accounting major, was treated at the scene by medics after the collision, which occurred on Kincaid Street at about 1:30 a.m., Eugene police spokeswoman Kerry Delf said.
Peterson said he drank a shot of tequila and a shot of Bacardi rum before going to the bar, where he drank two hefeweizens and then tried to run across the street carrying his longboard.
“I was kind of drunk at the time, so a few of the things are a little bit hazy, but I don’t think I was actually riding my longboard,” he said. “I saw a car coming, but I didn’t realize it was coming pretty fast, and I was already in the middle of the street before I realized I couldn’t get out of its way.”
After the collision, the driver “momentarily slowed down, just for half a second, and then they just sped off,” he said.
Police took the rearview mirror to use in their investigation, he said.
Peterson, who plays for the University’s rugby team, won’t be able to play the last few league games of the season.
“I’m just glad I didn’t get worse-off injuries,” he said. “It’s going to happen. Maybe I shouldn’t drink and run across the street.”
Delf said anybody with information about the incident should contact EPD at 541-682-5111.