London business owner in a coma, intensive care after falling off bicycle
A London, Ont. business owner is in a coma after falling off his bike this past weekend in the city’s north end.
Family members tell CTV News London 39-year-old Ali Azizi would have left his pizza shop, Smiley’s Pizzeria, at about 1 a.m. Sunday morning, heading north on Adelaide Street. Before he got home though, a bystander found him lying unconscious on the sidewalk, bleeding from his head.
Azizi’s family members say it is unclear how he ended up there.
“The doctors are not sure,” says Shabir Shahram, a relative. “They say they’re going to do some testing and see if he was unconscious first and then fell on the ground, or if this was caused by an accident. If it’s a hit-and-run.”
It’s believed Azizi was lying on the sidewalk for about a half hour before he was found, Shahram says. Police were then called and he was taken to Victoria Hospital, where he is undergoing multiple brain surgeries.
Ali Azizi being treated at Victoria Hospital’s intensive care unit, as seen on August 7, 2022. (Source: Shabir Shahram)Despite being in a coma, Azizi is in stable condition, according to Shahram.
“Last time I spoke to [the doctors], it’s probably three to four months’ recovery, the way it is,” he says. “We are just praying and hoping for the best for him and his family.”
“I was crying because he is my best friend,” says Wasae Oqaab, who also works at Smiley’s Pizzeria. “I don’t believe this happened.”
Azizi is married, with three young children. To help cover some of his potential recovery costs, a GoFundMe campaign has been set up.
CTV News London has reached out to London police for comment on any investigation, but is yet to receive a response.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Average hourly wage in Canada now $34.95: StatCan
Average hourly wages among Canadian employees rose to $34.95 on a year-over-year basis in April, a 4.7 per cent increase, according to a Statistics Canada report released Friday morning.
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
This iconic Canadian song is turning 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Oprah Winfrey: I set an unrealistic standard for dieting
Oprah Winfrey said on Thursday evening that she has long played a role in promoting unhealthy and unrealistic diets.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Toronto police called to Drake's Bridle Path mansion for another alleged intruder on Thursday
Toronto police say a man who allegedly attempted to access Drake’s Bridle Path property was taken to hospital on Thursday after an altercation with security guards.
Flat tire on a highway? Here's why you shouldn't try to fix it
If you're cruising down a highway and realize you have a flat tire, you may want to think twice before stopping to fix it on the side of the road.
Storm-battered U.S. South is again under threat. A boy swept into a drain fights for his life
Dangerous storms crashed over parts of the U.S. South on Thursday even as the region cleaned up from earlier severe weather that spawned tornadoes, killed at least three people, and gravely injured a boy who was swept into a storm drain as he played in a flooded street.
Broadcaster and commentator Rex Murphy dead at 77: National Post
The National Post is reporting that Rex Murphy, the pundit and columnist who hosted a national call-in radio show for decades, has died.