In a horrifying, seemingly random attack, a Califonia doctor was killed after being struck by a vehicle and then stabbed to death by the driver.
On Wednesday afternoon, Dr. Michael Mammone, a 58-year-old ER physician at Providence Mission Hospital in Laguna Beach, was biking on the Pacific Coast Highway as he often did when he was suddenly run down by a white Lexus.
The driver of the Lexus, a 39-year-old man named Vanroy Evan Smith, got out of his car and attacked Mammone, stabbing him multiple times in the back.
Witnesses reported that Smith was screaming racial slurs about ‘white privilege’ when he attacked Mammone.
Courageous bystanders jumped into action, tackling the assailant to the ground where he was held until authorities arrived and took him into custody. Smith remains in custody at the Intake Release Centre in Orange County and is set to appear in court on Friday.
The shocking incident was captured on video surveillance footage.
Dr. Mammone was rushed to a hospital but ultimately died from the severe injuries inflicted on him. It seems he led a fulfilling life, being dedicated to his community and saving hundreds of lives through the work he did.
In 1993, Mammone graduated from the Keck School of Medicine of The University of Southern California. Since 2011, he worked at Providence Mission Hospital, while occasionally working at Mission Viejo and Children’s Hospital of Orange County.
Providence Mission Hospital issued a statement on Mammone’s death, saying, “We are stunned by this devastating tragedy. The entire Mission Hospital family is grieving over the loss of an incredible physician and friend.”
“We will honor Dr. Mammone’s dedication to our community and passion for medicine by continuing to provide exceptional care.”
Cardiologist Dawn Aatwal also spoke on the tragedy of Mammone’s death, saying, “That’s the irony of this whole thing. If a patient was brought in his condition, he would have done everything he could to save that person.”
“He has saved so many lives here, and he died very close to where he saved hundreds of lives.”
Although Mammone tragically passed away, the bystanders potentially saved others from Smith’s murderous rampage by tackling him. Sgt Michael Woodruff praised those who jumped into action, calling them “brave and heroic.”
Investigators from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department reported finding “no known relationship or motive” for the murder.
