A Boston University police officer made an illegal left turn on Commonwealth Avenue before striking a student with his car Tuesday night, according to a police report from the Boston Police Department that BU police will not discuss.
The report confirmed witness testimony that the officer was traveling inbound on Commonwealth Avenue near the BU Central T stop when he made an illegal U-turn over the train tracks to the outbound side and struck student Yeon Lee at 11:15 p.m. The BU Police Department has not commented on the legality of the officer’s driving.
The officer driving the vehicle said he stopped twice as he went over the MBTA platform to ensure there were no pedestrians crossing the platform or the street, the report said. He said he did not see anyone crossing.
The BPD report states a witness said Lee was not paying attention when she crossed the street. However, College of General Studies sophomore Elizabeth Brennan, who witnessed the incident, told The Daily Free Press on Tuesday that Lee “was looking down for traffic.”
In the report given to the Free Press, the BPD blacked out several words to give no indication that the car that hit the student was a police cruiser.
BUPD officials said they cannot release a report because they are investigating the incident.
Although information is publicly available in the BPD report, BUPD Sgt. Larry Cuzzi said it is not department policy to give police reports to the public.
BPD representatives suggested yesterday that the BUPD is obligated to provide the filed report.
“They probably won’t give you the report because they are involved,” said BPD spokeswoman Julie Frattala.
“Police reports are public documents,” said BPD spokesman David Estrada. “BUPD is governed by the state, so I would assume they have the same policy.”
Following the collision, Lee told police she did not know what color the traffic light was as she crossed in front of Marsh Plaza, but there were no vehicles coming from the outbound direction, according to the report.
Just before she reached the MBTA platform, Lee said she saw a vehicle making a U-turn from the other side of Commonwealth Avenue. Although she tried to get out of the way, the vehicle struck her on her left hip, the report states.
The report states Lee said the vehicle was traveling “a little fast.”
After striking Lee with his car, the officer got out to assist her, and according to him, she said, “I ran across the street like the other BU kids do,” the report states.
Lee was taken to Brigham and Women’s Hospital to get checked out for possible injuries to her right cheek, right foot, right and left elbows and left hip. Yesterday, she underwent X-ray examinations, said Brennan, who has stayed in touch with her since the collision. The cruiser’s left turn signal was broken in the collision.
BUPD officers declined to comment the night of the collision, and they have not provided details since.
