Dalai Lama’s Indianan Nephew Killed In Pedestrian Accident

The Dalai Lama’s nephew, 45-year-old Jigme Norbu of Bloomington, Indiana, was killed in a pedestrian accident this weekend while participating in a peaceful march regarding Tibetan freedom.

According to the Associated Press, Norbu was walking along a highway during the 300-mile “Walk For Tibet.” He was struck by the 31-year-old driver of an SUV who had two children in the car with her. The investigation is ongoing, and police are unsure of why the women hit the man, who had completed several similar walks regarding human rights in Tibet in the past. Witnesses say that the protester was walking close to the white line of the highway that separates the traffic lane from the shoulder.

The Dalai Lama was reportedly saddened by the news of the car accident and the loss of his relative and told friends that he would remember Norbu in his prayers. Norbu’s father, Takster Rinpoche, was the oldest brother of the Dalai Lama. He died in Indiana in 2008.