Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more!
Florida Tourist Dies After Allegedly Being Knocked Out By Angry NYC Driver
Sandor Szabo knocked on the window of a white SUV, possibly thinking it was his Uber, before an angry motorist exited the vehicle and punched him in the face, police say.
A Florida tourist visiting New York City has died after allegedly being assaulted by a motorist.
Police are asking the public’s help identifying the man who allegedly punched Sandor Szabo, 35, early Sunday morning, the NYPD said in a news release emailed to Oxygen.com. The punch dropped Szabo to the pavement, where he hit his head and lost consciousness, police said.
Szabo was taken to a local hospital for treatment, but has since died, according to Gothamist.com, a local news website in New York City.
Szabo was visiting his brother at a hotel in Long Island City, Queens, on Sunday. After the visit, Gothamist reports, he summoned an Uber, and then knocked on the window of a white SUV he may have believed was his ride.
That’s when the driver got out of the SUV and punched Szabo in the face, before fleeing, police said.
“He hit his head on the asphalt. That’s what caused the brain injury,” Szabo’s brother, Dominic, told the New York Daily News on Monday, before Sandor died.
“He probably just tapped on the wrong guy’s car,” Dominic added.
Szabo’s family in Florida was too overwhelmed to speak with reporters on Tuesday, according to CBS12, the local CBS affiliate in South Florida. But his co-workers there spoke to the station and said Szabo traveled to New York to attend a trade show, then stayed for his step-sister’s wedding.
“He was a great guy to have as a colleague," Josh Gillon, CEO of What If Holdings, told the station. "We are still in shock and incredibly sad."
"I hope they find him and bring him to justice," Gillon added, speaking about the perpetrator. "This was really a stupid, stupid act. It's a big family and he was an important part of it so everybody is just heartbroken."
The NYPD describe the suspect as “a bald dark-skinned male; last seen wearing a light colored long sleeved shirt and jeans.”
Anyone with information about Szabo’s killing or the man is in the photograph can call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit tips through the Crime Stoppers website or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. All calls are strictly confidential, police say.
[Photos: Facebook; NYPD]
