UW student recovering after attack; condition upgraded

The condition of a University of Washington student who suffered a severe head injury after being attacked north of the Seattle campus early Tuesday has been upgraded to serious.

The 22-year-old woman, whose identity hasn't been released, was assaulted about 7 a.m. at Northeast 47th Street and 18th Avenue Northeast, in a neighborhood where about 6,000 UW students live, authorities said.

No arrests have been made, and authorities have described her attacker only as a man.

After the attack, the victim drove to the north campus entrance.

Patricia Hoot, a campus traffic guide, said that when she encountered the young woman near the entrance, the victim mumbled the words "beaten" and "please help me." Blood poured from the woman's head, her jaw looked like it had been broken and the contents of the woman's purse were in disarray inside her car, Hoot said.

"Her hair was real matted with blood. There was blood running down her face," Hoot said. "She was in pretty bad shape."

Hoot said that when the car pulled into the entrance at 17th Avenue Northeast and Northeast 45th Street, it stopped a few feet shy of the guard house. Hoot motioned for the woman to drive forward, but then the victim rolled down her window and motioned for Hoot.

The victim was dressed in a T-shirt, flannel pajama pants and a coat. Hoot said this is consistent with what many students who live in the dorms wear when they move their cars onto campus for the day.

The victim on Wednesday remained in the intensive-care unit at Harborview Medical Center, a hospital spokeswoman said.

Cori Hammock, of the UW Panhellenic Association, said students have provided authorities with a description of the woman's attacker. The victim was not a sorority member, but many sororities and fraternities are located in the vicinity of the assault.

UW police turned over the case to Seattle police, who did not comment Wednesday.

Hammock said she hopes the incident will serve as a reminder that students need to walk in pairs or large groups and be aware of their surroundings.

Jennifer Sullivan: 206-464-8294 or jensullivan@seattletimes.com