A man has been arrested in relation to a one-punch assault on a surgeon at Box Hill Hospital in Melbourne on Tuesday night, which left the father of two fighting for his life.
Cardiac and thoracic surgeon Patrick Pritzwald-Stegmann was punched un the head by an unidentified man after a verbal altercation in the foyer of the hospital while he was finishing up his shift and heading home. It is believed the altercation began over people smoking just outside the doors to the hospital.
The surgeon was hit in the face and fell to the floor unconscious. He underwent surgery on Tuesday night, and remained in a critical condition as of Wednesday.
“We’ve certainly seen plenty of incidents in the past where people die from these incidents,” Detective Senior Sergeant Ian Shepherd said. “That’s as serious as you can get.”
Victoria Police have confirmed that a 22-year-old man has been arrested in relation to the incident and is cooperating with police inquiries.
Police previously said that the attacker fled the scene straight after the assault at approximately 7:20pm, but was captured on CCTV hanging out with several other people prior to the event.
Anyone with information can contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Source: Sydney Morning Herald.
Photo: Supplied.
