With heavy hearts and profound sadness
The University of Arizona community is reeling after the devastating hit-and-run that claimed the lives of two of its young members – Sophia Troetel and Josiah Santos. In the late hours of Thursday night, just after 11:00 p.m., a vehicle struck three pedestrians near the busy intersection of 2nd Street and Euclid Avenue in Tucson, Arizona. Two of the pedestrians tragically died, and the third remains hospitalized in life-threatening condition as investigators work to piece together the full sequence of events.
Sophia and Josiah were more than just students — they were part of the Wildcat family, each bringing light, ambition and warmth to campus. Their laughter in the corridors, the hope in their eyes, the friendship they offered so freely — all have been stolen in an instant by an act of recklessness that has left countless hearts shattered. They were beloved friends, scholars and young people with futures full of promise. Now their absence leaves a silence too heavy to bear.
A campus in mourning
In the aftermath of this tragedy, the campus is enveloped in grief. Faculty, staff, roommates and classmates are grappling with the shock of sudden, senseless loss. The echoes of when Sophia greeted you in the hallway, or when Josiah offered to help study late into the night, now stand as haunting reminders of lives cut short. For those left behind, the question lingers: how do we return to the ordinary when the extraordinary has been lost?
Weeks ahead will likely bring memorial gatherings, vigils beneath the Tucson sky, and conversations about what could and should have been. And while we await more details, one fact is already painfully clear: the Wildcat community has lost two bright lights. The driver who fled the scene has yet to be publicly named, and the investigation remains active — a stark reminder of the urgent need for accountability and vigilance.
Carrying their legacy forward
As we weep, we also must remember to live — in honour of Sophia and Josiah’s dreams. Each one of us within the University of Arizona community carries a piece of their ambition and spirit. In the days ahead, let us lean on each other: offer a listening ear, attend the support sessions being organized for affected students, and walk home with extra care.
Let us celebrate their lives by refusing to let their stories fade into the background. Let their memory prompt all of us to act: to slow down, to look out for each other, to ensure no other student returns home only to have this heartbreak. In remembering Sophia and Josiah, we commit to building a campus environment where every life is protected, cherished and respected.