San Jose State University Student Killed in Alleged Hit-and-Run Near Campus

A San Jose State University student who was critically injured in a hit-and-run crash near campus early Sunday morning died from his injuries Monday afternoon, authorities said.

San Jose police identified the victim as SJSU student Chi Lam.

Solomon Friese, 22, was arrested and booked into the Santa Clara County Main Jail on suspicion of felony hit-and-run resulting in serious injury, according to police Sgt. Heather Randol. He could face upgraded charges.

The crash occurred at 12:59 a.m. Sunday in the 100 block of South 10th Street beside the far northeast end of the college campus, Randol said.

The suspect was driving southbound on South 10th Street when he struck and injured a pedestrian who was walking across the street, Randol said.

The motorist then drove from the scene, crashed into a parked car on South Eighth Street at East San Salvador Street in the southeast section of the campus, fled from the vehicle and entered his apartment, according to police.

When police arrived, the suspect came out of his apartment and contacted the officers, who arrested him, Randol said.

The pedestrian was taken to a hospital in critical condition with life-threatening injuries, she said. He succumbed to his injuries at 1:53 p.m. Monday afternoon.

Delta Sigma Phi plans to hold a fundraiser for Lam's family on Thursday at the 4th Street Pizza Company restaurant at 150 E. Santa Clara St. in San Jose, from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., according to the local chapter's website.

Lam was a member of the fraternity since he pledged for it in fall 2012, was in his sixth year at SJSU working on an undergraduate degree in computer engineering and had been expected to graduate next spring, according to a GoFundMe fundraising page set  up in his honor. He was also a member of SJSU's Vietnamese Student Association and the Union of North American Vietnamese Student Associations.

Lam’s friends didn’t want to talk about he died Monday. They remember Lam as a happy person, who loved taking pictures, “always smiling.”

“He’s the most genuine person you’ll ever meet, how he views life, not only through his eye, but through his camera,” Tan Nguyen said.

Lam was the historian for the Delta Sigma Phi fraternity. For Nguyen, he was a best friend.

“We were supposed to graduate this upcoming spring together, supposed to walk together,” Nguyen said. “It’s going to be hard walking without him.”

The fundraising website took in more than $9,300 by Monday afternoon toward its goal of $50,000 to aid his family in paying for expenses associated with Lam's death, organizers stated on the website.

NBC Bay Area's Cheryl Hurd and Bay City News contributed to this report.

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