Full Breakdown
University of Florida Freshman Killed in West University Avenue Collision
By Drooid · · How we work
Fatal Collision on West University Avenue
Police say a 19-year-old University of Florida student was struck while crossing West University Avenue near 23rd Street on Saturday night. A vehicle traveling eastbound swerved to avoid another car; the driver’s side of the swerving vehicle hit the pedestrian, and the passenger side struck the vehicle being avoided. A nurse on the scene provided assistance until emergency responders arrived. The victim was taken to UF Health Shands Hospital, where she later died. Officers arrested a drunk driver at the scene, but investigators indicated that driver was not involved in the collision. No additional arrests have been made.
Background on Hazel Krauss
Hazel Krauss was a freshman in the Warrington College of Business and a member of the Delta Gamma sorority. She graduated in 2026 from St. Ignatius College Prep in Chicago, where she participated in the Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica, the World Language Honor Society for Spanish, and played on the girls’ volleyball and bowling teams.
Official Statements & Responses
University officials confirmed Krauss’s enrollment and her involvement in campus activities. Saint Ignatius College Prep released a statement expressing grief for Krauss’s family and highlighting her academic and extracurricular contributions. The school described her as embodying the values of intellectual curiosity, faith, and service.
Verbatim Quotes
- “It definitely hurts a lot, and it makes you think that that could be any one of us. It could have been me or my best friend or any one of my sorority sisters. So it just makes you pray for those people and that we all can stay safe,” — Sabrina Campanella, a student at the University of Florida
- “We hold the Krauss family in our hearts as they process the unimaginable loss of their beloved daughter, sister, niece and granddaughter,” — Saint Ignatius College Prep
Data & Statistics
- Age: 19 years
- Time of crash: approximately 11:30 p.m. on Saturday night
- Location: West University Avenue near 23rd Street, Gainesville, Florida
- Vehicle direction: eastbound, swerved to avoid another vehicle
- Arrest: a drunk driver was taken into custody, though not linked to the collision.