A University of South Carolina student who was hit by a car crossing Harden Street in Five Points this October is now suing the city of Columbia and the state Department of Transportation over the design of a crosswalk in the busy business district.
The lawsuit comes after the state recently wrapped up a $5 million effort to make Harden Street safer for pedestrians, including reducing lanes and adding new safety features like mid-block signalized crosswalks. A 2019 study found that the roadway was the most dangerous for pedestrians statewide.
Maya Trowbridge, a USC student, suffered multiple fractures throughout her body after being hit by “a large black sedan” while crossing Harden Street just outside of Eddie’s Calzone’s Oct. 31, 2025, according to the lawsuit, filed April 17 by attorney Drew Richardson…