After a Fairfield University student was struck by a car and hospitalized over the weekend, concerns of both students and residents have been brought to the forefront.

Members of the Fairfield University Student Association say they have been trying to find ways to keep those students who live on and off campus safe for a while. However, they say officials never really discussed working toward a solution until the recent accident.

Jack Cleverly, 20, a sophomore at the university, sustained serious injuries when a man, who police say was under the influence of alcohol, drove down Fairfield Beach Road and hit Cleverly while he was walking in the street back to campus.

Police say the driver was not a Fairfield University student and they suspect Cleverly was jay walking.

The accident has prompted residents to ask the town to crack down on students in the streets. However, the student group says often times students are trying to get home safely after an outing and have no other option but to walk.

"They are gathering on the street, not doing anything wrong," says Steven Ligouri, of the Fairfield University Student Association. "There's no sidewalks for them and there's no where else to go."

Police believe it's a manpower issue because they don't have enough patrolmen at night with the estimated 430 college students living off campus.

"Maybe it's an issue of reallocation of resources, restructuring and figuring out the main priority," says Joe Weldon, another member of the Student Association. "Is it breaking up parties or making sure kids don't get run over by cars? What's more important?"

Over the next month, a safety committee will conduct an in-depth study to evaluate new possible safety measures.

Hit-and-run leads to call for safety solutions