Over 16,000 petition for pedestrian safety after hit-and-run kills Florida State student

The Florida State University community is in shock and is calling for action through a petition with almost 20,000 signatures following a deadly hit-and-run crash near campus Monday evening.

Twenty-year-old FSU sophomore and Tennessee native Elizabeth "Ellie" Sims — known for her infectious smile and positive presence — died after being hit in the crosswalk near the intersection of Lorene and Pensacola streets. The driver, 18-year-old Willis Trueblood Jr., was arrested and charged with leaving the scene of a crash involving death — a first-degree felony punishable by up to 30 years' imprisonment.

“We will love and remember you forever,” FSU's Beta Eta Chapter of Alpha Chi Omega Sorority said on its social media pages. Sims was a member of the sorority.

“You were truly the epitome of an Alpha Chi Omega: involved with FSU Honors College, FSU CHAW (Center for Health Advocacy and Wellness), an avid runner, an entrepreneurship student and a fashionista.”

More: FSU student killed in crosswalk after hit-and-run; TPD arrests 18-year-old

The tragic crash during finals week and days before graduation ceremonies is the first recorded pedestrian death this year, according to the Florida Traffic Safety Dashboard.

As the incident stirs the campus community, students and parents are calling for heightened pedestrian safety now more than ever.

A Change.org petition was created by an anonymous individual Monday pushing for a traffic light to be added to the Pensacola Street crosswalk for pedestrian safety in the busy area near FSU’s campus.

The petition had gotten over 16,000 signatures in less than 24 hours as of late Tuesday evening, with the numbers growing by the minute.

FSU freshman Daria Tiubin is one of the individuals who signed the petition in support of the traffic light recommendation.

“Everything around FSU is walking distance and so many students get around on foot, so it’s important that people are educated about driving in such a heavy pedestrian area,” 19-year-old Tiubin told the Tallahassee Democrat Tuesday. “So many people go to College Town, for example, and the only way to get there is usually by crossing Pensacola Street.”

A description on the petition website states that too many accidents have happened due to people driving too fast on the crowded street, and that adding stoplights will help “save lives.”

In February 2020, an FSU student was struck and seriously injured in a crossing near St. Augustine and Gay streets. A week prior, 19-year-old psychology student Natalie Nickchen died after being struck by a driver on a West Tennessee Street crosswalk.

The student's death four years ago sparked a similar online petition — which garnered nearly 18,000 signatures — to improve pedestrian safety on West Tennessee Street by having a pedestrian bridge or an additional tunnel built at Tennessee Street and Stadium Drive.

Related news: Online petition for better pedestrian safety on Tennessee Street draws over 10K signatures

Former FSU President John Thrasher said at the time that the university was in talks with state and local officials about improving pedestrian safety on Tennessee Street. In addition, a bill (SB 1000) to add and improve crosswalks throughout the state was OK'd by a Senate panel in 2020 but died in appropriations, according to the bill's history on the Florida Senate's website.

“The middle of campus is kind of like a safe haven in terms of pedestrian safety, but when you go right off campus, people drive recklessly,” FSU student and French major Carson Long said Tuesday.

Long says he often sees people ignoring the blinking lights on the yellow pedestrian crossing signs near campus when students try to cross the street. Similar to the way that there are designated school zones near local elementary, middle and high schools for younger pedestrian safety, he believes the same policies should be put in place around college campuses.

“The truth is that the whole surrounding area is made up of the campus community, and the same kind of safety students feel in the Landis Green area should be felt in the surrounding community, too,” Long said.

FSU President Richard McCullough encouraged the university community in a Tuesday statement to use counseling services that are available to them on campus if they need support while navigating the recent tragedy.

“We are deeply saddened by the heartbreaking loss of one of our students, Elizabeth 'Ellie' Sims, who was killed Monday when she was struck by a vehicle near campus,” McCullough said in the prepared statement. “Our thoughts and condolences are with her family and friends during this difficult time.”

Several flowers, tea light candles and stuffed plushies were placed at the base of a crosswalk sign near the scene of the accident throughout the day Tuesday.

One of the plushies says “Love is Ellie. We love you so much.”

The FSU sorority partnered with Sims’s family to establish the Ellie Sims Memorial Fund in honor of her life. Individuals can make donations through the Alpha Chi Omega website at https://give.alphachiomega.org/Ellie.

A Gofundme was also set up for the family at https://www.gofundme.com/f/ellie-sims.

"She is beloved and survived by her parents, brother, sister, and both her Franklin and FSU community," the page states. "Please consider donating to help offset these unexpected travel and funeral expenses."

More details on the arrest

Court records state that Trueblood told Tallahassee Police Department investigators the sun was glaring and he had his visor down when he hit Sims and began "panicking."

"I didn’t know what to do, so I just left,” Trueblood Jr. said, according to court records. “I hit somebody and I just messed up.”

Trueblood entered a conditional plea of not guilty, according to court records.

As Facebook commenters pushed for more charges in the online arrest announcement, TPD responded that the charges filed were in consultation with the State Attorney's office and "in accordance with Florida law."

"An update will be provided if additional charges are brought forward," the agency wrote, noting the investigation remains "open and active."

Contact Tarah Jean at tjean@tallahassee.com or follow her on X: @tarahjean_.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU community mourns, calls for pedestrian safety after student killed