Woman struck by Mayor Garcetti’s car leaves hospital

After spending three days in the hospital, the woman hit by a car carrying Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti was released Friday.

Juliet Nicolas, 60, was struck in downtown Tuesday afternoon by a city SUV in which Garcetti was a passenger. Garcetti did not see what happened as his vehicle headed east on 2nd Street toward City Hall, according to the mayor’s office.

At 3:30 p.m. Friday, Nicolas left Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center in a wheelchair, accompanied by relatives and family members, as well as a hospital spokesperson. Her face was bruised in several places, and she coughed for several minutes as she waited in front of the hospital.

Nicolas and her relatives declined to comment.

When a reporter asked how she was feeling, Nicolas shook her head side to side and a hospital spokesperson told reporters she wouldn’t comment.

She later began to tear up. When a family friend asked what was wrong, she motioned to her bruised left eye and said softly, “This is very painful.”

Earlier Friday at a Cal State Northridge event commemorating the 1994 earthquake, Garcetti said he visited Nicolas at the hospital Wednesday and said he was thankful she was “healthy and well.”

“We were able to have a very nice visit, and she was very sweet,” he said.

Garcetti also said he did not expect the accident to affect how his administration addresses pedestrian safety.

“I think it’s an individual incident, so I don’t know that I’ll extrapolate larger policy stuff,” Garcetti said. “But I’ve cared a long time before this about the issue of pedestrian safety.”

Police have said that Nicolas may have been crossing 2nd street against the light, but that an investigation was ongoing.

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michael.finnegan@latimes.com

michael.finnegan@latimes.com