[ad_1]
A thief stole a Maryland doctor’s Mercedes sedan and struck and killed the victim while fleeing the scene in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday night, a report said.
The brazen auto theft occurred after Dr. Rakesh Patel, 33, exited his car, which was still running, to deliver a package to his girlfriend on Vernon Street NW at about 8 p.m., NBC Washington reported, citing police.
The suspect slipped into the empty Mercedes E350 – drawing the attention of Patel who raced back on foot in an attempt to foil the crime, the report said.
But the crook hit the gas and ran over Patel as he sped away. Patel was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
Patel’s car was found Wednesday 5 miles north of the scene. The suspect remained on the loose.
Witnesses spotted people drenching the inside of the car with bleach and taking the floor mats, the report said.
The victim was training as a critical care fellow at MedStar Washington Hospital Center.
His grief-stricken parents couldn’t make sense of his horrific killing.
The victim’s father, Dr. Rajnikante Patel, told the news outlet that his son’s life was “taken away for no reason.”
Rakesh was the youngest of five siblings. His mother told NBC Washington that she “always used to call him my baby.”
In a statement, MedStar Washington Hospital Center said Rakesh “will be greatly missed by those whose lives he touched.”
[ad_2]