A California doctor died tragically earlier this month when he was struck by a car while riding his bike and then fatally stabbed by the driver.
Dr. Michael J. Mammone, 58, was traveling along the Pacific Coast Highway in Dana Point on February 1 when a driver, identified as Vanroy E. Smith, 39, struck him from behind. Witnesses reported that Smith then got out of his vehicle with a knife and began stabbing Mammone, a physician at Providence Mission Hospital in Laguna Beach.
Smith was allegedly holding a BB gun when he approached Mammone and assaulted him in the intersection. Bystanders were able to detain Smith before deputies arrived and arrested him. Smith was booked into the Orange County Jail on suspicion of murder.
Mammone was pronounced dead at a local hospital a short time later. Authorities have not discussed the motive and no connection has been revealed between the two men. Providence Mission Hospital issued a statement confirming Mammone’s death, noting his dedication to the community and passion for medicine.
“The entire Mission Hospital family is grieving over the loss of an incredible physician and friend,” the statement read, per KTLA. “We will honor Dr. Mammone’s dedication to our community and passion for medicine by continuing to provide exceptional care.”
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office is still investigating the incident and has not released any further information. It is unclear whether a gun was recovered from the scene. The knife Smith allegedly used was recovered, however.
Dr. Dawn Aatwal, a cardiologist at the hospital, spoke to Fox 11 about Mammone’s death, noting the irony of the situation. “That’s the irony of this whole thing,” she said. “If a patient was brought in his condition he would have done everything he could to save that person.”
Mammone had more than two decades of medical experience, according to his profile on U.S. News and World Report. His death has been a shock to the medical community and his former colleagues, who have expressed grief and sorrow over the tragedy.
At this time, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office is continuing to investigate the incident and its circumstances.
