The Arnesson-Cronhamre family are encouraging people to sign a a petition in advance of an upcoming court case.
25-year-old Lovisa Arnesson-Cronharme, who graduated from the University of Glasgow earlier this year, died on Tuesday 12 September after a hit-and-run incident in the US state of Pennsylvania. Ahmed M. Alqubaisi, 20, has – according to police – been charged with vehicular homicide, involuntary manslaughter, reckless endangerment, careless driving, and speeding, and is currently in custody without bail.
A petition, called “Justice for Lovisa!”, has been set up in advance of a detention hearing, which will take place on Wednesday 27 September. The petition had gathered 16,293 signatures at the time of writing, and is accepting donations. The writers of the petition say that “there is a high risk that the bail will be set” at this hearing. They are therefore looking to collect signatures to “influence the judge so that the driver remains in custody without being able to be released on bail”.
One signatory, Samuel Holm, commented: “Justice must be served. The driver who caused Lovisa’s death apparently did not have a fully valid driver’s license, was 20 years old and lost control of his sports car when the accident occurred. It must not happen that the father pays the bail and the driver can leave the US and not be held accountable for his actions.”
Arnesson-Cronharme was studying for a doctorate in architectural engineering at Penn State University, where Alqubaisi is also a student. Prior to this, she spent five years at the University of Glasgow, and graduated with a degree in Astrophysics. She was active in the Glasgow University Weightlifting Club, who issued the following statement:
“Lovisa Arnesson-Cronhamre was many things. She was brilliant, tenacious, inspiring, and strong. She was a daughter and a partner. She was also a friend, our friend. We all met her through our shared love of the gym. Her radiant positivity made even the worst day better. Her dedication both in the gym and outside of it was inspiring. Her humility was a lesson to us all. She would never brag or boast even as she sped through milestone after milestone. Her capacity to care about others was endless. None of us have a single negative memory about her. In short, she was a light in the dark. A light that was abruptly and cruelly snuffed out.”
Jake Beveridge, her coach, said that “she showed her unique characteristics and qualities that made her a joy to work with. The news of her passing deeply shocked and saddened me. Lovisa was not only pleasant but also an immensely hardworking, dedicated and understanding person. She achieved so much that made her a person to be looked up to. She consistently approached every challenge with positivity, never once complaining, and ready to push on in spite of the size of a task, which I know she exemplified in all aspects of her life, not just sport. It is hard to find someone like Lovisa. She will be profoundly missed.”
Tributes have also been made from Lovisa’s friends and 22/23 committee members. “She put so much effort into her role as social media secretary and it was amazing to see her compete in powerlifting competitions, doing what she loved”, said Oscar Hood. “She was such an incredibly friendly person and had the biggest smile on her face whenever I saw her.” Hannah McColl added: “Lovisa was one of the kindest, most genuine people I have ever had the privilege of knowing. Putting her impact into words doesn’t do her justice, but anyone who knew her will know what a light she was. An unbelievably talented and hard-working girl, beautiful inside and out, taken far too soon.” Molly Clark said she was honoured to have known Lovisa as a friend: “My heart aches for her family as I would be so proud to have raised such a wonderful girl and it is so upsetting that her life was taken so early.”
