A female Duke student reported that she was assaulted Friday morning in a parking lot next to Duke Forest.
The student said she was preparing to go running when she was attacked from behind, according to a news release. She escaped unharmed and called the police.
“She was planning to run on campus,” a close friend of the student said. “But she just felt uneasy and she didn’t really know why.”
Instead, the student drove to a commonly used jogging trail near the Washington Duke Inn. She parked her car in the lot at the intersection of Route 751 and Erwin Road at about 8:30 a.m.
The student was tying her sneakers when she thought something hit her, her friend said. “She realized that someone was strangling her from behind,” the friend said. “She doesn’t know how long that went on, but somehow she was able to slip free.”
According to the news release, the student said she ran into the forest, where she was able to hide for several hours. Lt. Davis Trimmer of the Duke University Police Department said the student was unsure whether her attacker pursued her.
The student then returned to her car, which Trimmer said was unlocked. She drove to the Blue Zone, where she used an emergency phone to call the police at about noon, Trimmer said.
Trimmer said the student refused any medical attention and noted that Emergency Medical Services examined her and found no major injuries. The student told police she would consider counseling but preferred to schedule an appointment independently.
The student spoke with the residence coordinator on call, but her friend said a group of close friends has been her primary support throughout the weekend. “I think she’s incredibly strong and brave, and she’s handling it very well,” the friend said. “She’s been extremely well composed.”
Larry Moneta, vice president for student affairs, said the Women’s Center was also helping the student.
Her friends emphasized their concern about security on campus. They said the student is still shaken by the incident, and they underscored the need for better safety measures.
An investigation about the alleged assault is ongoing, officials said. “There’s information that we yet need to fully understand what exactly happened,” Moneta said.
This summer, a series of assaults took place on more remote jogging trails in Duke Forest. The victims in those assaults were either stabbed or threatened with a sharp object. Police arrested the man responsible for those incidents, and he is currently in jail, Trimmer said.
In dealing with Friday’s alleged incident, Trimmer said police are looking for people who were near the parking lot area between 8 a.m. and noon, regardless of whether they saw anything.
He said DUPD is still searching for further leads.
“Right now that doesn’t fit any of the patterns of any assaults that have happened so far,” Trimmer said.
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