A Florida tourist died in New York after he was punched by a man he probably thought was an Uber driver, his family said.
Sandor Szabo, 35, died on Tuesday after being taken off life support, his family told the New York Daily News.
Szabo was reportedly trying to return to his brother’s Long Island City hotel room in the early hours of Sunday morning with a dead phone battery. He’d attended his stepsister’s wedding earlier that day, reports said.
He reportedly knocked on the window of a parked SUV on 29th Street near 41st Ave. The SUV’s driver stepped out and, “following a confrontation,” punched Szabo, who fell back and hit his head on the concrete sidewalk, according to police.
“When he was hit, he was struck so hard in the face," his brother, Dominic Szabo, told the paper Monday. Dominic also told the paper that his brother probably thought the car was an Uber.
The driver then fled and remains at large, police said. Police have released footage they say shows the suspect and the SUV connected to the incident.
Sandor was transported the hospital for treatment but never regained consciousness.
Police said Sandor could have been intoxicated at the time, reports said.
Sandor, who worked in advertising, was remembered by his company on social media.
“It is with a very heavy heart that we announce that after a senseless assault over the weekend in NYC, our dear friend and colleague, Sandor Szabo, has passed away,” What If Media Group wrote on Facebook. “Sandor was super outgoing, friendly, and an incredibly smart businessman. He was always upbeat, positive, kind and caring. He was fun to be with, interesting, and always interested. He was a really good person.”
Cops are asking anyone with information to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS.
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