A UW-Madison student and participant in the Semester at Sea program, Kurt Leswing, 21, of Milwaukee, was struck by a car and killed in Hong Kong Nov. 7.
Hong Kong officials said the driver of the vehicle was intoxicated when he hit Leswing and was arrested at the scene.
Leswing was a senior business major at UW-Madison and has been described by members of the Semester at Sea program as gentle, kind, caring, easy-going and thoughtful.
While traveling in the fall, the program hosted Nobel laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu during its stopover in Cape Town, South Africa. Friends and family said Kurt was positively influenced by the archbishop's address.
Leswing repeated a quote, Take the anger from your hearts, wipe the tears from God's eyes and live a life of love,"" from the archbishop's speech and shared it with family.
""This terrible tragedy reminds us of the value of every human life and how fragile it is. Each of us who knew Kurt must try to remember him in a way that honors his life and the contributions he made to our community,"" said Jack Van De Water, executive dean of the fall 2008 voyage.
The U.S. Consul General in Hong Kong and the Institute for Shipboard Education are continuing to investigate the case. Leswing is survived by his parents, who reside in Milwaukee.
