BLOOMINGTON — Indiana University student Nate Stratton died last September when a drunk driver hit him while he was riding a scooter.
Days before a vigil in his honor, another Hoosier was hit by a car while on a scooter.
A student was hit while riding their scooter at the intersection of 10th Street and Woodlawn Avenue at about 11:15 a.m. Thursday, according to IU Police. The student remains hospitalized in serious condition.
The crash happened nearly a year to the day after Stratton's death. The IU junior was struck by a drunk driver last Sept. 18 and died at just 20-years-old.
Stratton's parents are returning to Bloomington this weekend for the vigil. They hope car drivers in the city stay attentive and stay away from alcohol so no other parent has to grieve the loss of a child.
"Every single night, we go to bed and cry about Nate, and every single morning, we wake up and realize we don't have our son and his future is no longer part of our lives," said Brad Stratton, Nate's father. "In a college town especially, this is paramount. Kids are walking all over the place, taking scooters and riding bikes, and all the things you see every day in Bloomington."
IU Police have not revealed if the driver who hit the scooter-riding student this week was under the influence.
Sccoters remain a popular option for Hoosiers after the two crashes, but students say it is hard to ride without thinking of car drivers making a wrong move.
"I think to myself, 'Damn, some of these drivers suck, how do they have a drivers license?'" said Indiana University freshman George Ghenea, who said he rides scooters around Bloomington about once a week. "You should be able to avoid people on the road, especially someone on a scooter. I just try to keep my Spidey senses up and avoid the cars because there's no room for error."
The vigil for Stratton takes place at 4 p.m. Sunday at Dunn Meadows in Bloomington.
