Collision on Cascade sends two to hospital

Students flocked to the intersection of Cascade Avenue and South 4th Street around 1:20 p.m. on Thursday, May 7, after a driver struck two pedestrians as they tried to cross the street.

A press release from the River Falls Police Department gave some details on the accident. The two pedestrians, Elizabeth Dekker and Jennifer Drews, both age 29 and, according to an email sent to faculty members from Chancellor Dean Van Galen, both employees of the university in the Office of Institutional research, were walking south along Cascade when driver Jacob D. Zwiefelhofer struck them in his truck.

Officials arrived at the scene and Dekker and Drews were loaded into ambulances by stretchers.

Dekker was transported to River Falls Area Hospital, while Drews was sent to Regions Hospital in St. Paul, which would imply more serious injuries. The Student Voice reached out to Regions to look into Drew’s current condition, but the hospital did not disclose any information. Zwiefelhofer was not injured in the collision.

“Please keep both Jen, Liz and their families in your thoughts,” said Van Galen’s email. “Any cards for Jen or Liz can be dropped off in the Office of Academic Affairs, 104 North Hall, and will be forwarded to them.”