On Thursday night, October 20, Samuel Kesselman was hit and ran. On his way to an EY work event, he waited around a corner and stopped at a red light. Suddenly, a speeding car hit Sam from behind, and the car sped away. A special unit of DC Police has observed the incident and is currently investigating it.

Sam was rushed to Howard University Medical Center and immediately underwent surgery to relieve brain swelling from the traumatic brain injury. He was transferred to the Neurosurgical Intensive Care Unit at Johns Hopkins Hospital (Bayview) within 48 hours. He gets the best care.

Sam is currently in a coma and has suffered serious injuries. He was also joined by his mother Alison Schechter, father Stephen Kesselman, brother Ross and sister Ross Kesselman, and girlfriend Erin Passow. He is in critical condition. Every day is a positive sign. He still has a long way to go in recovery.

Samuel, also known as Sam or “Case” by those around him, was a beloved individual who touched and positively impacted their lives. Many would say he was a natural leader because he lived an exemplary life guided by Jewish values.

Dedicated and enthusiastic, Sam made a real impact at Cornell University, where he held numerous leadership positions in organizations such as Teaching Assistant for Policy Analysis and Management, Cornell Political Alliance, Alpha Kappa Psi Professional Business Fellowship, and ZBT Fraternity President .

After graduating from Cornell University in Spring 2022, Sam has just started working full-time at Ernst & Young as a government consultant.

Sam’s nine years as a camper at Modin and another three as an employee have had a big impact on him. There, he grew up with his best friend and became a well-known leader in the camp community. His campers look to Sam as a role model, and his love and responsibility for them has been a role model for campers and supervisors alike. He still regularly provides support, love and advice to his campers.

Sam is someone who can make the world a better place. Not only was he loved and cared for by his staff and managers at Johnny’s, a local Newton landmark, but he also stood out on the Newton North Side for winning the Newton City Community Service and Massachusetts Jewish War Veterans Scholarship. He interned with Seti Warren in local municipal government and worked on Jake Auchincloss’ campaign office.

Sam was kind, caring, generous and always put others before himself. Although Sam, Zev Shmuel ben Avigael Davida is currently very ill, your love and prayers are as important as his intense healing. When he wakes up, any messages and donations you send will remind him of the love and support around him and reading it now means a lot to his family.

All donations will go to a fund dedicated to supporting Sam’s medical and recovery needs. As a hit-and-run victim, Sam required extensive and prolonged medical care, resulting in substantial medical bills. With so many caring people reaching out to him and asking how they can help, this GoFundMe page was created by Sam’s ZBT brothers at Cornell who want to support him and help him recover with the best treatment imaginable.