A driver who Baltimore County Police said struck a popular college student from Gaithersburg earlier this month on a busy thoroughfare near Towson University, leaving him for dead, is in custody.
Mzimazisi Ncube, 20, died Dec. 8 after he was hit by a pickup truck driven by Man Bahadur Gurung, who fled from the scene north of Baltimore, according to Baltimore County Police.
Ncube, a Gaithersburg High School graduate who was in his sophomore year at Towson, was remembered by his family “for his charisma, infectious sense of humor, caring attitude and affable smile” and vigils were held last week outside his Gaithersburg home and on the campus of the 20,000-student university north of Baltimore.
More than 1,000 students and Ncube’s family attended the campus candlelight vigil, according to one estimate.
“Mzi was an extraordinary man. He was always a delightful person to hang out with. He could make friends with anyone,” said Clay Smith, president of Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity, according to an account of the vigil provided by the university.
Ncube, who had just joined the fraternity, was one of five children in his family and was majoring in pre-accounting, the university said.
Police said they were able to link Gurung to the case through parts of his truck found at the scene. Investigators believe Ncube was first struck by Gurung and then hit on North Charles Street by another car. The driver of the car stayed at the scene, police said.
Gurung, 36, of Rosedale in Baltimore County, was arrested Sunday and is being held without bond on charges that included leaving the scene of an accident and failing to report an accident to authorities, according to police and online records.
Attorney information for Gurung was not available in online court records.
As is customary, the case is expected to be reviewed by prosecutors and police could file additional charges.
