Charges were filed Wednesday against an NIU student who allegedly struck another student with his car during the Day of Action rally on Lincoln Highway Oct. 21.

DeKalb County State’s Attorney Philip DiMarzio said Clark Cavish, 22, 824 Greenbrier Road, has been charged with failure to exercise due care to avoid colliding with a pedestrian. He is accused of hitting Art Zemke, 18, 143 Douglas Hall, at the intersection of Lincoln and Carroll Avenue as Zemke participated in a campuswide Day of Action protest.

Zemke was among about 100 other students who were protesting Gov. James Thompson’s budget cuts to higher education and the subsequent $150 tuition increase scheduled for NIU next semester.

e said he was injured when he was struck by a car and flung over its hood, ripping an earring from his left ear.

e said a red Buick pulled up and slowed down. “I turned away, but out of the corner of my eye I could see the driver slam down on the gas. He never stopped.”

Zemke said after the car struck him, it kept going. A witness took down the license plate number of the car.

DeKalb Police Chief Joseph Maciejewski said at the time of the accident, police took the number from the witness to help in tracking down the driver of the car. DiMarzio said he viewed another bystander’s videotape of the accident to look for more details.

One of the witnesses was a freelance reporter from the Chicago Sun Times who was at the scene, Zemke said. “He almost got hit, too. He urged me to press charges.”

DiMarzio said he could not reveal any of the testimony of the witnesses at this time.

Cavish turned himself in as the driver of the car a few days after the accident, Zemke said. “He said he wasn’t aware he hit me.”

Cavish refused comment Thursday.

A summons will be served on Cavish, which will set a preliminary court date, DiMarzio said. At that time, he will be asked to enter a plea.

The charge filed against Cavish is a petty offense which carries no jail penalty, DiMarzio said. The maximum fine for this charge is $500.