A former University of Ottawa student is in critical condition in a Florida hospital.
Alexander Sanghwan was the victim of a hit-and-run around 5:30 a.m. Sunday morning. According to an NBC News affiliate in Miami, Sanghwan was struck as he was leaving a bar with some friends.
“I don’t understand why someone would hit my son from behind when he had no chance whatsoever to defend himself, none,” Patricia Sanghwan, Alexander’s mother, told NBC News.
According to LinkedIn, Sanghwan graduated from the University of Ottawa with a BSc in Biomedical Science in 2014, and from A.Y. Jackson Secondary School in 2010. For more than two years, Sanghwan has worked as a research assistant at the University of Ottawa. Friends said Sanghwan had recently been accepted to medical school.
Sanghwan’s parents told NBC that their son has been placed in a medically induced coma and may need brain surgery. He was transported to hospital in critical condition.
“We have a lot of family that are on their way here, or that have already arrived and there’s a lot of support in our hometown as well,” Sanghwan’s mom told NBC affiliate WTVJ.
Police in Miami have arrested and charged a 26-year-old with numerous infractions, including leaving the scene of a crash causing serious harm, and reckless driving causing serious bodily harm. According to the arrest report, the suspect does not have a valid Florida driver’s license.
