A 23-year-old University of Minnesota student died Thursday afternoon of injuries suffered early last Friday when he and two others were struck by a hit-and-run driver on a sidewalk near Dinkytown in Minneapolis.
Benjamin Van Handel of Appleton, Wis., "passed away with his family and friends by his side," according to a statement from Christine Hill, a spokeswoman for Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis.
"Ben was a selfless, loving person who cared deeply for others," Hill wrote. "In his spirit, his organs are being donated so that other families will not have to say goodbye to their loved ones."
Investigators are continuing to look for the driver, Minneapolis police Sgt. Steve McCarty said Thursday. The vehicle was going about 30 miles per hour when it hit Van Handel and others in his group along SE. 5th Street. Anyone with information is asked to call police at 1-800-222-8477.
Van Handel suffered a severe brain injury and broken bones. The others struck suffered minor injuries.
PAMELA MILLER
