Family members tell CTV News London that 39-year-old Ali Azizi allegedly left his pizzeria, Smiley’s Pizzeria, at about 1 a.m. on Sunday, heading north on Adelaide Street. However, before reaching home, a passer-by found him lying unconscious on the pavement, bleeding from the head.
Azizi’s family members say it’s unclear how he ended up there.
“Doctors are not sure,” says Shabir Shahram, his relative. “They say they’re going to do some tests and see if he was unconscious first and then fell to the ground or if it was an accident. If it’s a hit and run.’
Azizi is believed to have been lying on the pavement for about half an hour before he was found, Shahram says. Police were then called and he was taken to Victoria Hospital, where he is undergoing multiple brain operations.
Ali Azizi is being treated in 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 [the doctors], it’s probably three to four months of recovery as it is,” he says. “We’re just praying and hoping for the best for him and his family.” “I was crying because he’s my best friend,” says Wasae Oqaab, who also works at Smiley’s Pizzeria. “I don’t believe that 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 has yet to hear back.
