St. Thomas student killed in Sunday car crash

St. Thomas junior Ria Patel is pictured in a Facebook profile photo. Patel died early Sunday morning after a hit-and-run car crash. (Photo courtesy of Patel’s Facebook)

St. Thomas junior Ria Patel died early Sunday morning after a car crash in northeast Minneapolis.

The university reported Monday morning that Patel, 20, had died. The Star Tribune identified Patel as the car crash victim.

Officers responded to the scene of a one-vehicle crash around 3:50 a.m. at the intersection of Stinson Boulevard Northeast and Ridgeway Parkway in northeast Minneapolis, according to a police statement. The vehicle had hit a stoplight.

Police found a woman trapped in the vehicle and provided medical aid until paramedics arrived, who then pronounced the woman dead at the scene.

“Officers learned from a witness that the male driver of the car had fled on foot before police could arrive,” the statement read. “A search of the area was conducted using K9’s but the male suspect was not located.”

“It is with deep sadness that we inform you of the passing of Ria Patel, one of our international students,” the St. Thomas Office of International Students and Scholars posted on Facebook Monday. “She will be so missed by many on campus and in the community.”

Police did not immediately respond to a TommieMedia inquiry about the current status of the suspect as of Monday afternoon.

The university released the following funeral information:

Aarti (prayers) will be held Sept. 18 from 7 to 7:30 p.m. with prarthana sabha (prayer service) following from 7:30-8:30 p.m. at BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, 2300 Freeway Blvd., Brooklyn Center, Minn.

Sophie Carson can be reached at sophia.carson@stthomas.edu.