Campbell is currently being held on $250,000 bail.
An Indian American student of St. Thomas University, Ria Patel, was killed after her “super drunk” boyfriend left her to die inside a car that met with a fatal accident on Sunday in Minneapolis.
Michael Laurence Campbell, who was driving the car that rammed into a traffic light, was arrested by the police two days after the incident from his Wright County residence. He was then transported to a nearby hospital to treat his injuries and later shifted to Hennepin County Read jail.
Campbell, who is assumed to be Patel’s boyfriend, has been charged with two counts of criminal vehicular homicide after police found that he ditched bleeding Patel on the road and fled the scene.
According to an eyewitness, who saw the crash, soon after the accident, Campbell got out of the car and ran to a nearby McDonald’s.
According to police reports, Campbell, 21, was highly drunk while driving the car.
St. Thomas University held a remembrance gathering on Thursday, which was attended by Patel’s close friends and students. The University remembered her with foundation and vigil.
The accident caused blunt injuries on Patel’s head resulting in her death.
Patel was attended by police officers soon after the accident and gave her first aid but the massive head injury turned out to be fatal.
“We met freshman year and got really close sophomore year, and we were kind of like inseparable,” said Madeline Duesek, a University of St. Thomas junior to Fox 9.
“She was my first friend,” said Kelly Swanson, Patel’s roommate said to the Channel. “One of my greatest friends, one of my closest friends she ended up being … There was seldom a day that she was upset or in a bad mood. Just being around her spirit would lift my own.”
None of her friends who gathered for the remembrance was interested in discussing Campbell, reported the channel.
People close to Patel, including her friends and family have launched a foundation named The Ria Foundation in her memory to give awareness about dangers of drunk driving.
Ria’s friends and family have already launched The Ria Foundation in her honor to raise awareness against drunk driving. To learn more about how you can contribute click here.
A resident of Eden Prairie, Minnesota, Patel was considered by her teachers as a promising student
Patel left along with Campbell after a late night party organized by him. According to the friends who attended the party, Campbell was “super drunk” when he left with Patel.
Campbell reportedly told police that he was couldn’t stand seeing the bleeding Patel after the deadly crash and he exited the scene with his phone, forgetting to take his wallet that helped police to locate him.
Campbell is currently being held on $250,000 bail.
The GoFundMe page for the foundation says “Ria left this world as an angel – she spread happiness all over the world with her big smile and big heart.”
“We want to make sure that this does not happen to any other person and are in the process of creating a charity which will create and raise awareness of any actions that negatively lead to the loss of loved ones by reaching out to students, parents, friends, neighbors and the community to ensure we raise the awareness of trust,” it adds.
As of now, the initiative has received $14,450 of $20k goal.