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SMU professor in collision once drove into students Her
lawyer says crosswalk incident is coincidence, not pattern
07:06 AM CDT on Wednesday, May 5, 2004
By MICHAEL GRABELL / The Dallas Morning News
A Southern Methodist University law school professor accused
of running down a lawyer with her car was involved in an
accident four months ago in which she hit two SMU law
students who were walking in a crosswalk, according to
police reports.
arrested Sunday and charged with assaulting a man who
was cycling at White Rock Lake in what Dallas police
called a road rage incident. Tommy Thomas suffered
scrapes and bruises.
On Dec. 30, second-year law students Ashley Stewart and
Renee Chafitz, both 24, were hit at Hillcrest and Daniel
avenues as they were walking from the SMU library to a
cookie store. Neither student was injured seriously.
Ms. Dolkart, 56, told police the sun was in her eyes.
"I don't think she did it on purpose," said Ms. Stewart,
who was on an extracurricular mock trial team coached by
Ms. Dolkart. "I believe she legitimately had the sun in
her eyes."
Mt. Dolkart's attorney, James Vasilas, said it is only a
coincidence that the two incidents happened within a few
months of each other.
"Circumstances happen," he said. "I would say unequivocally
it is not a pattern of behavior that there's something wrong
with Jane Dolkart. Not at all."
The accident report said Ms. Dolkart failed to check the
pedestrian crosswalk and that the glare would not have
blocked her vision of the crosswalk. She was charged with
driving without insurance.
Mu. Vasilas said she had insurance, but the proof of
insurance wasn't in her car.
Dallas police said that on Sunday, Mr. Thomas, a Dallas
business lawyer, was cycling with a friend on West Lawther
Road south of Mockingbird Lane when
Mv. Dolkart came up behind them honking and screaming. She
followed them around a U-turn and then rammed her car
into Mr. Thomas' bike, police said.
Mw. Vasilas said his client, who was also on her way for a
bike ride, tapped the horn to alert them that she was
behind them and then accidentally hit
Mx. Thomas.
My. Dolkart posted a bond Sunday night. The Dallas Police
Department is investigating and will refer the case to a
grand jury to determine whether she will be indicted on
aggravated assault charges.
lawyer says crosswalk incident is coincidence, not pattern
07:06 AM CDT on Wednesday, May 5, 2004
By MICHAEL GRABELL / The Dallas Morning News
A Southern Methodist University law school professor accused
of running down a lawyer with her car was involved in an
accident four months ago in which she hit two SMU law
students who were walking in a crosswalk, according to
police reports.
arrested Sunday and charged with assaulting a man who
was cycling at White Rock Lake in what Dallas police
called a road rage incident. Tommy Thomas suffered
scrapes and bruises.
On Dec. 30, second-year law students Ashley Stewart and
Renee Chafitz, both 24, were hit at Hillcrest and Daniel
avenues as they were walking from the SMU library to a
cookie store. Neither student was injured seriously.
Ms. Dolkart, 56, told police the sun was in her eyes.
"I don't think she did it on purpose," said Ms. Stewart,
who was on an extracurricular mock trial team coached by
Ms. Dolkart. "I believe she legitimately had the sun in
her eyes."
Mt. Dolkart's attorney, James Vasilas, said it is only a
coincidence that the two incidents happened within a few
months of each other.
"Circumstances happen," he said. "I would say unequivocally
it is not a pattern of behavior that there's something wrong
with Jane Dolkart. Not at all."
The accident report said Ms. Dolkart failed to check the
pedestrian crosswalk and that the glare would not have
blocked her vision of the crosswalk. She was charged with
driving without insurance.
Mu. Vasilas said she had insurance, but the proof of
insurance wasn't in her car.
Dallas police said that on Sunday, Mr. Thomas, a Dallas
business lawyer, was cycling with a friend on West Lawther
Road south of Mockingbird Lane when
Mv. Dolkart came up behind them honking and screaming. She
followed them around a U-turn and then rammed her car
into Mr. Thomas' bike, police said.
Mw. Vasilas said his client, who was also on her way for a
bike ride, tapped the horn to alert them that she was
behind them and then accidentally hit
Mx. Thomas.
My. Dolkart posted a bond Sunday night. The Dallas Police
Department is investigating and will refer the case to a
grand jury to determine whether she will be indicted on
aggravated assault charges.