Hempstead havoc: Hofstra Unispan collision
Hofstra University built the Unispan that connects the North and South Campuses in 1967. Last week, the Unispan was hit by a garbage truck. // Jacob Lewis / The Hofstra Chronicle.
On Thursday, Nov. 10, a garbage truck hit the Unispan, the pedestrian bridge over Hempstead Turnpike that connects the Sondra and David S. Mack Student Center to the Joan and Donald E. Axinn Library. The extended roller bed attached to the truck crashed into glass paneling on the walkway.
No one was injured except the driver of the truck, who was taken to a local hospital, according to a statement released by the university.
“The accident is under investigation by Nassau County Police Department. The Unispan will be closed until repairs can be made and an inspection can be completed by the Town of Hempstead,” the statement reads in part.
At the time of this publication, the Unispan remains closed as it undergoes inspections. The Student Center and the Axinn Library remain open.
This Unispan is one of three walkways connecting the North Campus to the South Campus.
However, the one that was damaged is the most popular and convenient method of transporation. Public Safety announced that they would provide on-campus shuttle services for students wishing to cross the turnpike.
“The shuttle will be stationed at the Student Center West Circle and make continuous trips to South Campus and back,” reads the statement.
Although no students were injured, there were several individuals on and around the Unispan at the time of the accident.
“I was about to enter [the Unispan] when suddenly I felt the ground shake and heard a boom simultaneously that sounded like a bomb,” said Patrick Kraft, a junior drama major. “[I] saw glass on the floor and people running off the Unispan.”
Another student thought there was an earthquake while she was in the Interfaith Office in the Student Center at the time of the incident.
“The whole Student Center shook,” said Lily Siegel, a sophomore economics major.
One student who was close to the impact was sitting in Axinn Library at the time.
“I felt the building shake, and I heard a loud bang,” said Hannah Lovitt, a senior drama major.
After exiting the building, Lovitt reported seeing glass on the ground and students gathered who were nearby when the accident happened.
A faculty member saw the aftermath of the accident from the second floor of the library.
PeggyAnn Matusiak, office manager and alumni director of the Stuart and Nancy Rabinowitz Honors College, was in her office in Axinn Library when the accident happened.
Similar to most people nearby, she felt the crash and heard a loud noise. Jumping up from her chair, she hurried to the window and saw the garbage truck with its hydraulics unattached and a car pileup behind it.
Within minutes, police officers and Public Safety arrived to disperse people while the damage was assessed. For everyone’s safety, they quickly closed both entrances of the Unispan.
With the main Unispan closed, this places a major inconvenience on students and staff who wish to cross from one side of campus to another. There are two other pedestrian bridges that can be utilized, but they require extra walking and are inconvenient for many people.
Kraft cited a “master plan” that was published by the university in 2016, which includes reimagining ways that the pedestrian commute could be more convenient. However, a number of these things have yet to be enacted.
One of these is a “scoot shuttle” which would bus students from one side of campus to the other with minimal stops to improve ride time. Additionally, it would be synced with class times for the convenience of students. Other enhancements included ways to make traffic safer on Hempstead Turnpike and Oak Street.
There have been three other incidents of the Unispan being hit since its construction in 1967 – the most recent of which was in 2018. A dumpster on top of a garbage truck collided with the Unispan, breaking one of the panes of glass, according to an article by The Hofstra Chronicle. There were no reported injuries.
An accident in 1981 was recorded in a document titled, “Interesting Facts About Select Hofstra Buildings,” found in the Axinn Library Special Collections.
“The Unispan is so strong that it could withstand being hit by a truck, which happened when a garbage truck hit the span in 1981,” it reads in part.
In an article titled, “Ambassadors for a Day,” in The New York Times, written by Jay G. Baris in 1977, there is another mention of a garbage truck hitting the Unispan.
“A garbage truck once hit it, a Hofstra garbage truck. Thank God no one got hurt. Only glass broke. This thing is really sturdy. The metal posts didn’t even bend,” Andrea Hondros, a Hofstra tour guide, told Baris.
While history has proved that the Unispan can withstand being hit by a garbage truck a few times, it may be beneficial to install some low-clearance signs, to ensure that this does not happen again, according to students.
“I think it would help if they put a sign somewhere about what height [it is],” Lovitt said.
Currently, there are no height clearance signs that inform drivers of the height – 14 feet and 2 inches – of the Unispan. New York State’s Department of Transportation’s policy is that a bridge that is 14 feet high or lower must have a low clearance sign.
At this time, the Unispan remains closed as repairs are completed.
Siegel said she thinks it would be near impossible to reconstruct the Unispan without majorly disrupting student life.
However, students can utilize the other two pedestrian bridges and crosswalks on Hempstead Turnpike and Oak Street until the Unispan is proven to be safe for pedestrian traffic.
The shuttle that will be transporting students from the West Circle to South Campus will be available from 7 a.m. through 5 p.m. starting Monday, Nov. 14.
Public Safety will be stationed at the crosswalks on both Hempstead Turnpike and Oak Street to ensure that students can safely get across.
Students with disabilities can contact Student Access Services or call Public Safety at 516-463-7878 for prioritized access to the shuttle bus.
