• Video Below: See John Cook at the Monday press conference
• Photo Showcase: NU volleyball's Lauren Cook
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LINCOLN — A witness to Sunday's accident involving Husker volleyball star Lauren Cook said her expression left no doubt she knew she had struck two people on a motorcycle in north Lincoln before fleeing the scene.
"I saw her. She looked at me," William Umana of Crete, Neb., said Monday. "She was really freaked out. She knew what happened. She was really freaked out and she left."
Cook did not appear in court Monday, as prosecutors asked a judge for more time to review reports and witness statements before filing charges. She was released on bail Sunday after police arrested her on suspicion of driving on a suspended license and a potential felony offense of leaving the scene of an injury accident.
John Cook, her father and head coach of the highly ranked volleyball team, said Monday that his daughter remains on the team, but he would not address her status for this weekend's matches against Michigan and Michigan State.
He said he had been in contact with Nebraska Athletic Director Tom Osborne about athletic department procedures on dealing with arrests.
Police reported that Lauren Cook called 911 shortly after noon Sunday, 14 minutes after the accident, and said she "just panicked" after hitting the motorcyclists. When police found her car near 14th and Alvo Streets, her right front tire was shredded.
Cook, 20, a junior, had been alone in her parents' 2007 Toyota 4Runner, driving west on Humphrey Avenue in a residential area of north Lincoln.
According to police, Cook clipped two motorcyclists who had pulled to the curb. Nathaniel Kollars, 30, of Lincoln suffered a broken leg and was being treated Monday at a Lincoln hospital. Sharon Stratman, 54, of Yankton, S.D., suffered abrasions but was not admitted to the hospital.
Umana, 23, one of two witnesses, said he was driving east on Humphrey when he saw the accident unfold. He estimated that the westbound sport utility vehicle was traveling between 20 and 30 mph along a curved street with a posted speed limit of 25 mph.
After the contact, Umana said, his attention turned to the motorcyclist and passenger, both of whom were on the ground. Umana said he called for help and tried to provide assistance until an ambulance arrived.
The accident occurred at 11:51 a.m. Cook called police at 12:05 p.m. after speaking to her mother, Wendy, said Lincoln Police Chief Jim Peschong.
According to court records, Cook has been found guilty of four traffic violations, all involving excessive speed. In one case she was going 16 to 20 mph over the speed limit in a school zone.
Since 2007 she has been ticketed a total of six times for speeding, police said. Two of the infractions were removed from her driving record after she took defensive driving classes, police said.
Cook failed to complete a recent driver improvement class and her license was suspended in October, state records show. She was eligible to have the license reinstated pending completion of the course, said Patrick Condon, chief deputy attorney for Lancaster County.
Although her parents own the SUV involved in the accident, the law does not hold them criminally liable, Condon said.
John Cook was asked to talk about his daughter's situation Monday at his weekly press conference. He declined to answer why she did not call police immediately after the accident.
He said she had been on her way to Memorial Stadium after returning from this weekend's matches at Ohio State and Penn State. He said she had not been using drugs or alcohol, nor was she texting while driving.
He declined to answer several questions about the crash, citing legal reasons.
When asked whether he was aware his daughter had a suspended license, John Cook said: "I can't comment on any of that. There's a legal process that goes on here that goes through all this."
She is scheduled to appear in court Nov. 8.
If Lauren Cook, the team's starting setter, eventually faces suspension from the team, the coach said she would be replaced by senior captain Brigette Root, a walk-on from Grand Island, Neb.
The setter plays a crucial role in directing a volleyball offense, distributing the ball to attackers, and Nebraska's offense was beginning to flourish under Lauren Cook's play.
Cook, a prep All-American at Lincoln Pius X, started her college career at UCLA in 2009 but transferred to Nebraska after a decorated freshman season in which she was named National Freshman of the Year by the American Volleyball Coaches Association. Last season she split time with senior setter Sydney Anderson.
World-Herald staff writers Jon Nyatawa, Sam Womack, Michael Bamesberger and Jay Withrow contributed to this report.
Contact the writer:
402-473-9587, joe.duggan@owh.com
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• Video: NU volleyball coach John Cook at the Monday press conference:
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