A man who drove at night without headlights, speeded and ran a red light told police he intended to take his own life by crashing his car, but instead took the lives of an Indiana University student and a recent graduate while crossing the street in Miami Beach during a rainy Wednesday night, according to police.
Adan Negron-Morris struck and killed 22-year-old Sarisa Kongduang and 23-year-old Greatgomon Lawatdansapia at 73rd Street and Collins Avenue, according to his arrest affidavit. Laowatdhanasapya), the two were thrown into the air and landed a few feet away from the site of impact. According to his arrest affidavit, he was seen driving recklessly in the area. They came here during spring break.
Kongduang, president of the Thai Students Association of America, is an IU student, the university confirmed to The Herald on Friday. According to his LinkedIn profile, Laowatdhanasapya received his undergraduate and master’s degrees from the university. The university confirmed he will graduate in 2024.
Negron-Morris, 42, of Lakeland, is charged with vehicular homicide and leaving the scene of a fatal crash.
“City CCTV footage and witness interviews indicate that the defendant drove his vehicle in a manner that demonstrated a willful and wanton disregard for the safety of people and property in the area,” detectives wrote in the arrest affidavit.
The last fatal crash occurred shortly after 9 p.m., police said, and Negro-Morris nearly caused two other crashes. Police said roads were wet and slippery due to the rain, exacerbating the danger.
Shortly before the crash, an officer saw a black sedan with no headlights heading toward Collins Avenue, indicating Negron-Morris was the driver, but the car was then lost sight of, according to the arrest affidavit.
Read more: Hit-and-run driver kills two pedestrians and hides at Walgreens: Miami Beach police
Didn’t stop after knocking down two tourists: police
Negron-Morris did not stop the black 2013 Nissan Sentra he was driving when he struck Kongduang and Laowatdhanasapya, who died after being taken to Ryder Trauma Center, police said, but continued to the intersection of 74th Street and Collins Avenue, where the car became “paralyzed.” Police said the Nissan had extensive damage to the front and the hood was bent upward toward the windshield.
Police said a witness saw Negron-Morris get out of his car and walk into a nearby Walgreens at 7340 Collins Ave. and followed him inside. Witnesses pointed him out to police, and he was taken into custody at a Walgreens.
As of Friday, Negron-Morris remained incarcerated at Knight Correctional Center in Turner-Guilford with bail set at $1 million, jail records show.
“I believe he poses a tremendous danger to the community,” Judge Mindy Glazer said during Friday’s bond court hearing.
Court records show Negron-Morris has pleaded not guilty.
“Wish to die”
Police took Negron-Morris to Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach and asked for his consent for a blood draw. Negron-Morris initially agreed, but withdrew his consent as hospital staff prepared to draw his blood, police said.
Police received a search warrant signed by a judge and conducted two blood draws on Negron-Morris hours after the crash. His arrest affidavit did not include blood test results.
He told police his drugs of choice were crack cocaine and marijuana, but on the day of the accident he had only consumed marijuana and an “unknown drug” given to him by his girlfriend.
During an interview at the Miami Beach Police Department, Negron-Morris told police he suffered from schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, anxiety and depression.
He told police he took his girlfriend’s car without her permission and planned to crash and kill himself.
“He recalled driving east on 71st Street and then north on Collins Avenue, closing his eyes, pressing the gas, and hoping to die,” detectives wrote in the arrest affidavit.
He said when he heard the crash, he stopped as quickly as he could and considered leaving the scene and instead walked into Walgreens.
Outstanding students
Kongduang is a junior at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business and, according to her Linkedin, adheres to the principle of “leaving the world a better place than we found it.”
Kongduang, known as “Lisa,” wrote that she was passionate about “business, finance and event management.”
The high-achieving student was invited to be a TEDx speaker in October 2022, where she shared her thoughts: “Stop carrying other people’s expectations: if it’s too heavy, let it go.”
“My long-term goal is to have a positive impact on myself and my country, Thailand,” she wrote on her page.
Laowatdhanasapya graduated from Indiana University in 2024 with a master’s degree in finance; according to his LinkedIn information, he received a bachelor’s degree in finance from Indiana University in 2023.
After graduating with a master’s degree, he worked as an investment banking analyst at Bank of America in Chicago.
