• by Ray Schultz , August 9, 2018

Sandor Szabo, vice president of sales for the What If Media Group, died on Tuesday after being assaulted in Long Island City, New York. He was 35.

Szabo, following his stepsister’s wedding, was punched by an angry SUV driver and hit his head on a curb, sustaining a brain injury. He died at New York-Presbyterian Hospital Weill Cornell after being taken off life support.  

“It is with a very heavy heart that we announce that after a senseless assault over the weekend in NYC, our dear friend and colleague, Sandor Szabo, has passed away,” What If Media Group says In a Facebook post. “It is a devastating loss to his family, and to our What If Media Group family.”

The post continues: “Sandor was a well-known and well-respected leader in the digital marketing industry. He lived in Boca Raton with his brother, but spent a lot of time in our Fort Lee, NJ office.” 

It adds that Szabo was “critical in helping our company’s recent rapid growth.” 

The incident occurred after 1 a.m. on Sunday when Szabo was trying to return to his hotel in Queens. He banged on the window of an SUV, possibly thinking it was a Uber, and the driver emerged and punched him, according to the New York Daily News. 

The driver fled the scene. Police have released a video of the alleged assailant. 

What If Media, which has 25 employees, states on its website: “We create and operate a variety of web properties that attract targeted audiences with whom we interact in a variety of channels.” These include “websites, newsletters, outbound telemarketing, direct mail and social media,” it says.