An NIU student was in critical condition at a Rockford hospital Tuesday afternoon after she was hit by a car while crossing the street at the intersection of Annie Glidden Road and Stadium Drive.

Lisa A. Hessenius, 21, was walking west on Stadium Drive shortly before 12:20 p.m. when a Ford sedan heading south on Annie Glidden Road struck her.

According to police, Hessenius was crossing against the light when a car with the right-of-way hit her.

Hessenius was the “straggler” of a group that had just crossed the southbound lane of Annie Glidden Road before coming to a stop in the middle of the road to wait for the northbound lane to clear, DeKalb Police Lt. Jim Kayes said.

Kayes said Hessenius was walking farther back than the rest of the group and the driver clipped her.

Police and ambulance responded to the scene. Hessenius was transported to OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center in Rockford.

Representatives from St. Anthony would not comment on Hessenius’ progress late Tuesday.

Pedestrian safety at the intersections of Annie Glidden Road and Stadium Drive and Annie Glidden Road and Lucinda Avenue has long been an issue for both NIU and the city.

Following a string of accidents in fall 2000, NIU and the city of DeKalb implemented a safety task force for the area that looked at what steps could be taken to make the intersections safer for the thousands of students who cross them every day.

Traffic lights have been added at Annie Glidden Road and Stadium Drive. By next fall, there are plans to add countdown timers that show pedestrians how many seconds they have to cross the street before the light changes.

But it may not always be an issue of safety. In Tuesday’s accident, the pedestrian was crossing against the light, Kayes said.

When the traffic lights at the intersection first were installed, Ralph Tompkins, director of public works for DeKalb, said they would make it safer for students to cross if they obey the signals.

However, Tompkins said people tend to ignore the “don’t walk” signals.