The family believes that the suspect who hit and killed two Thai students and is said to have a mental illness is only an assumption. They believe the suspect will claim this to reduce his sentence due to intoxication since he has a long criminal history, including probation violations.
According to international news reports, a tragic incident involving Thai nationals occurred at 21:10 on 17 March. Edan Negron-Morris, a 42-year-old American man, drove without headlights and struck two Thai pedestrians, killing them before fleeing the scene. The deceased included Ms. Sarisa (Pear) Kongduang, 22, a third-year student at the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University, majoring in management with minors in tourism, hospitality, and event management. She also served as president of the Association of Thai Students in America (ATSA), representing and supporting Thai students in the U.S. and playing a key role in driving projects like ATSA EXPO 2024–2025.
The other victim was Mr. Kiattikomol (Great) Laowattanasup, 23, who graduated from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University in 2024, earning both bachelor's and master's degrees in finance. He worked as an Investment Banking Analyst at Bank of America’s Chicago branch.
The police later arrested the suspect in the same area and charged him with two counts of vehicular manslaughter and two counts of hit-and-run resulting in death, as previously reported.
. Mr. Payu Nueangjamnong, Deputy Spokesperson of the Pheu Thai Party, posted a clarification stating that some Thai media reports about the tragic incident involving two Thai students killed by a vehicle in Florida, USA, on 18 March contained inaccuracies. The family of one of the victims, whom he personally knows, requested this additional explanation.
Edan, the suspect who drove into the two students while they were crossing the street, came to the U.S. to study and graduate from Indiana University, the same university as the victims. They had traveled to Miami before being killed by Edan, who has been arrested. However, reports that the suspect is a 'mental patient' are not confirmed and differ from the claim that he was merely intoxicated by drugs at the time of the offense.
The information about Edan’s 'mental condition' is only an assumption by authorities and local media, as he told police he intended to use the vehicle to 'end his own life' before hitting the two victims. It is believed the suspect plans to use alleged mental instability as a defense to reduce his sentence for driving under the influence and running a red light, causing the deaths before attempting to flee. He has a long criminal record, including probation violations.
The victims' family thanks the media for covering the case so it does not fade away simply because it happened abroad, and they seek justice for the two victims. At the same time, they ask the media not to present inaccurate information that might indirectly lessen the suspect’s punishment by legitimizing a mental illness defense, when in reality he has a violent criminal history.
Finally, I would like to express my condolences again to both families and thank the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for coordinating support through the Thai Consulate in the U.S. since the incident. We hope the responsible agencies will continue to follow up and advocate for the victims’ families in this case.
Source: Facebook Payu Nueangjamnong, image from: nypost.com