Young KC doctor critically hurt in hit-and-run crash while cycling in midtown
Just a couple of months ago, 29-year-old Saswat Das arrived in Kansas City, eager to begin his fellowship at Children’s Mercy Hospital.
His colleagues and friends describe the pediatric cardiologist as witty and vibrant, known for his distinctive laugh and his ability to make everyone feel like a close friend.
Last week, Das was critically injured in a hit-and-run crash while riding his bike in the city’s midtown area. The collision left him with a traumatic brain injury.
More than a week after the crash, he remains sedated in intensive care at a hospital, his family and friends hopeful for his recovery and calling for justice.
Das’ cousin, Sanjna Pradhan, said he has been getting marginally better. He’s been sedated for the most part since the crash, to prevent any additional physical exertion or agitation that could worsen his injuries.
“Things have been getting slowly, slowly better,” Pradhan said. “We’re just hoping for him to wake soon.”
And while there have been no significant updates in the past week, his family believes the direction he’s heading is what they are hoping for.
“We’re just keeping our hopes up,” Pradhan said.
A GoFundMe fundraising page has been established to help cover his medical expenses. As of Friday, more than $98,000 has been raised.
Driver fled at high speeds from crash
Around 8 p.m. on Sept. 17, Das was riding his bicycle west on West 39th Street, approaching Harrison Parkway, which is near Gillham Road in the Hyde Park area. At the same time, the driver of a red Hyundai Sonata was heading south on Harrison Parkway.
The driver struck Das, and then fled east from the scene of the crash at high speeds, police said. Das suffered critical injuries and emergency medical workers took him to a hospital.
Pradhan said a couple of people have reached out to her saying they saw what happened and stayed with her cousin until emergency medical crews arrived. He was conscious when he arrived at the hospital, but was sedated to protect him from further injury.
Police have yet to identify a suspect in the hit-and-run crash, said Officer Alayna Gonzalez, a spokeswoman for the Kansas City Police Department.
“Detectives are still actively working the case and continue to follow all leads to determine a suspect and suspect vehicle,” Gonzalez said.
Das is a healthy man, who works out, runs and bikes all the time, so with his younger age, Pradhan said they are optimistic for his recovery. Originally, his family thought he might have been riding home from work. They now think he might have been out for an errand. And while they’re still not 100% sure why he was out biking that night, they do know one thing. .
“I know he’s a fighter,” Pradhan said.
Justice by finding the driver
Das moved to Kansas City in July from Little Rock, Arkansas, where he was in residency, to work at Children’s Mercy hospital.
“Our thoughts are with Dr. Das and his family during this difficult time,” Children’s Mercy hospital leaders said in a statement. “We remain hopeful for a full recovery and are deeply moved by the overwhelming support from the community surrounding him.”
Pradhan said her cousin has the type of personality where even if you’ve just met him, it feels like he has known you forever. He quickly becomes a good friend.
“He’s just one of the happiest and most outgoing ‘live-life-to-the-fullest’ people that I know,” Pradhan said.
Pradhan provided quotes from several friends describing Das, including one who said every interaction with him is funny and special.
“He cares so much about people,” said Baylor Barron, a co-resident at Arkansas Children’s hospital. “He always errs on the side of compassion.”
Pradhan said she wasn’t surprised to see Das pursue a career in the medical field and help people in such a personal way. She’s seen how hard he’s worked toward becoming a doctor from the very beginning. Her parents are also physicians and he would shadow them, so he knew he wanted to be a doctor early on.
Since the crash, members of Kansas City cycling community have reached out to Das’ family saying that it is terrifying that something like this could happen to someone on a casual bike ride, Pradhan said.
Das’ family has been overwhelmed with the medical treatment he has received and the support shown from his colleagues, friends and the community. They hope that the driver comes forward or someone calls police with information.
“Das has always been very involved in his community, and the goal of finding the person who did this is to get justice for him when he’s not able to do it himself,” Pradhan said. “I know if it was a situation where it had been someone he cared about, he would 100% be doing everything he could to figure out who it was and to avoid similar accidents from happening in the future.”
This story was originally published September 26, 2025 at 1:19 PM.
