.jpg "A driver in Miami Beach struck and killed two tourists on Collins Avenue on March 18, 2026, fled to a Walgreens and was arrested there, police say. One of the victims was a student at Indiana University while the other had graduated from the school with a master’s degree in finance.")
A driver in Miami Beach struck and killed two tourists on Collins Avenue on March 18, 2026, fled to a Walgreens and was arrested there, police say. One of the victims was a student at Indiana University while the other had graduated from the school with a master’s degree in finance.
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A man driving with no headlights on night, speeding and running red lights told police he intended to end his own life by crashing the car but instead took the lives of an Indiana University student and a recent graduate crossing the street in Miami Beach on the rainy Wednesday night, according to police.
Before Adan Negron-Morris fatally struck Sarisa Kongduang, 22, and Greatgomon Laowatdhanasapya, 23, at 73rd Street and Collins Avenue — hitting them so hard they were hurled airborne and landed several feet from where they were hit — he had been seen driving recklessly in the area, according to his arrest affidavit. They were here on spring break.
Kongduang, president of the Association of Thai students in the United States of America, per her Linkedin, was a student at Indiana University, the school confirmed Friday to the Herald. Laowatdhanasapya obtained both an undergraduate and master’s degree from the university, per his LinkedIn profile. The university confirmed he graduated in 2024.
Negron-Morris, 42, of Lakeland, is charged with vehicular homicide and leaving the scene of a deadly crash.
“City cctv footage and witness interviews revealed that the defendant operated the vehicle in a manner demonstrating a willful and wanton disregard for the safety of persons and property in the area,” detectives wrote in his arrest affidavit.
Negron-Morris almost caused two other collisions before the final fatal one, which occurred shortly after 9 p.m., police say. The roadways were wet and slippery from the rain, adding to the hazardous conditions, police say.
Moments before the crash, another hit-and-run had occurred in the area of 71st Street and Bay Drive East, with an officer having seen a black sedan going toward Collins Avenue with no headlights, implying that Negron-Morris was the driver, but then lost sight of the car, according to the arrest affidavit.
READ MORE: Hit-and-run driver kills 2 pedestrians and hides in Walgreens: Miami Beach cops
Did not stop after hitting the two tourists: police
After Negron-Morris hit Kongduang and Laowatdhanasapya, who were rushed to Ryder Trauma Center where they died, police say he did not stop the black 2013 Nissan Sentra he was driving and instead continued until the intersection of 74th Street and Collins Avenue, where the car became “disabled.” Police say the Nissan had extensive damage to the front of the car with the hood bent upward toward the windshield.
A witness watched Negron-Morris leave the car and go into a nearby Walgreens at 7340 Collins Ave. and followed him inside, police say. The witness pointed him out to police and he was taken into custody inside the Walgreens.
As of Friday, Negron-Morris remained locked up at Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on a $1 million bond, jail records show.
“I believe he poses a great danger to the community,” Judge Mindy Glazer said during Friday’s bond court hearing.
Court records show that Negron-Morris has pleaded not guilty.
‘Hoping to die’
Police took Negron-Morris to Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach and officers requested his consent for a blood draw. Police say Negron-Morris initially said yes, but as hospital staff prepared to draw his blood he withdrew his consent.
Police got a signed warrant from a judge and Negron-Morris’ blood was drawn twice a few hours after the crash. His arrest affidavit did not include the results of the blood test.
He told police that his drug of choice is crack cocaine and marijuana but that on the day of the crash he had only consumed marijuana and “unknown medication” that his girlfriend gave to him.
In an interview at the Miami Beach Police Department, Negron-Morris told police he has schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, anxiety and depression.
He told police he had taken his girlfriend’s car without her permission and intended to kill himself by crashing the car.
“He recalled driving eastbound on 71st street, then northbound on Collins avenue, closing his eyes, pressing the accelerator, and hoping to die,” detectives wrote in his arrest affidavit.
He said that when he heard the crash he stopped as soon as he could, contemplating whether to leave the scene but instead went into the Walgreens.
Accomplished students
Kongduang, a junior at IU’s Kelley School of Business, adhered by the principle of “Leaving the World a Better Place than How We Found It,” per her Linkedin.
Known as “Lisa,” Kongduang wrote that she had a passion for “business, finance, and event management.“
The accomplished student had been invited as a TEDx Speaker in October 2022, where she shared her thoughts in a presentation, “Stop Carrying the Expectations of Others: If It’s Too Heavy, Put It Down.”
“My long-term goal is to make a positive impact on both myself and my country, Thailand,” she wrote on her page.
Laowatdhanasapya graduated from IU in 2024 with a master’s of science in finance; he previously obtained a bachelor’s degree in finance from IU in 2023, according to his LinkedIn.
After graduating with his master’s degree, he worked as an investment banking analyst for Bank of America in Chicago.
This story was originally published March 20, 2026 at 12:17 PM.
Miami Herald
Milena Malaver covers crime and breaking news for the Miami Herald. She was born and raised in Miami-Dade and is a graduate of Florida International University. She joined the Herald shortly after graduating.