An Arab Muslim student faced injuries in a hit-and-run incident on the campus of Stanford University. Authorities are currently examining this incident as a potential hate crime.
On a Friday afternoon, as the student was making his way to a class on the Palo Alto, California campus, a man in his mid-twenties reportedly struck him with a black Toyota 4Runner, according to information provided by the Stanford University Department of Public Safety.
The student recounted that the driver apparently made eye contact with him, accelerated the vehicle, and deliberately collided with him, while also shouting offensive language from the car window. "I never imagined becoming the victim of a hate-driven attack," expressed the victim in a statement to ABC News. "His hateful screams...still echo in my ears."
The victim described the driver as a White male in his mid-twenties, with short, dirty-blonde hair, a short beard, wearing a gray shirt, and round framed eyeglasses, as per the release from authorities. The involved Toyota 4Runner is believed to be a model from 2015 or a more recent year, featuring an exposed tire mounted at the rear center and a Toyota logo in the center of the wheel.
The SUV had a white California license plate with the letters M and J, with the M possibly being the first letter and the J in the middle. The California Highway Patrol labeled the incident as a hate crime during its preliminary investigation, with the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office leading the case, as reported by CNN. The investigation by the California Highway Patrol is ongoing.
The Stanford University Department of Public Safety issued an alert about the incident on Friday night at 10:30 p.m. and provided an update on Saturday. This incident has deeply impacted the Stanford community, which has previously experienced other hate crimes amid the Israel-Hamas war.
In the midst of this tension, the victim, identified as Abdulwahab Omira by CNN, released a statement from the hospital, calling for calm and understanding. "As I lay in my hospital bed, grappling with a reality I had never imagined, I reflect on the importance of spreading love, kindness, and compassion in a world that seems to be steadily succumbing to hatred and prejudice," said Omira. "This ordeal has solidified my resolve to advocate for love, understanding, and inclusivity."
Omira further stated, "An individual who had previously shown animosity towards my community struck me intentionally. His hateful screams of 'f--- you and your people' still echo in my ears as I grapple with the physical and emotional pain this incident has left in its wake."
On Friday, Stanford president Richard Saller and provost Jenny Martinez issued a statement expressing their deep concern regarding this potentially hate-based physical violence on their campus. They emphasized that violence on the campus is unacceptable, and hate-based violence is morally reprehensible.
Omira mentioned in his statement that Stanford was slow in notifying the community after the incident. "The hours following the incident were agonizingly silent from the institution that I had trusted to be my safeguard," he said. The university spokesperson told CNN that the Department of Safety informed the campus as soon as they gathered enough information from the police.
The Department of Public Safety underlined that Stanford is taking measures to provide a safe and secure campus environment, particularly in light of increased tensions related to events in Israel and Gaza. Additional security measures have been deployed at key locations on campus.
Witnesses are encouraged to come forward and share any information they may have about this incident. Anyone with information is requested to contact the CHP at 650-779-2700 or the Department of Public Safety at 650-329-2413.
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