Former Temple student hurt near U.

The victim was thrown several feet in the air in a possible hit-and-run after a fight near an area club. A former Temple University student was critically injured in a hit-and-run early Friday morning following a fight outside a University City nightclub which allegedly involved several members of the Villanova University basketball team. The victim, David Hopkins, 27, remained in critical condition last night at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, a HUP spokesperson said. Hopkins was thrown several feet in the air after being hit by a sports-utility vehicle following a fight outside the Pegasus club at 3801 Chestnut Street, police said. The vehicle immediately fled from the scene, police said. The severity of Hopkins' injuries prompted the involvement of the Philadelphia Police Department's Homicide division, which is investigating it alongside the PPD's Southwest Detectives Bureau and Villanova's public safety department. According to Philadelphia Homicide Sgt. William Britt, officials are still investigating the matter and are trying to determine whether the hit-and-run was accidental. On Friday, investigators questioned several members of the Villanova basketball team who were allegedly involved in the fight, Britt said, but none of them are suspects. The Catholic school near Philadelphia released a statement Friday afternoon saying that officials there are "aware" of the situation and are investigating it themselves. The statement added that "based upon the information collected, no Villanova University student-athletes were involved with this accident." The Philadelphia Inquirer reported on Saturday that two of the players questioned were 21-year-old senior guard John Celestand and 21-year-old sophomore center Simon Ogunlesi, as well as assistant coach Steve Pinone. Two other unidentified players were also interviewed. The fight allegedly involved students at both Temple and Villanova. According to police reports, two groups of men got in their cars to leave when people started throwing things. "Bottles were thrown, cars swerved, and someone got run over," Britt said. University Police responded to the initial report but have not been involved in the investigation, Penn Det. Commander Tom King said last night. According to the Inquirer, Hopkins was part of one group of men who got in a fight with the Villanova students over a woman in the club. Bouncers threw the dozen or so participants out, where they finally started to drive away after another round of fighting outside. The basketball players and their friends were driving south on 38th Street in three different vehicles. When someone threw a bottle at the car in front, all three slammed on their brakes and one vehicle slammed into Hopkins. All three cars left the scene, the Inquirer said. Pegasus employees could not be reached for comment. The club's previous incarnations include FUBAR, a bar/dance club that opened in 1995, and, before that, a concert venue called the Chestnut Cabaret.