Cardiothoracic surgeon, 56, dies two weeks after he was knocked to ground in road rage brawl

A ‘brilliant’ cardiothoracic surgeon has died two weeks after being knocked to the ground in a brutal road rage attack in Brooklyn.

Dr. Jaime Yun, 56, a beloved married father of two, died on June 16 of a traumatic brain injury he suffered in a violent fight on June 8 a few miles from the hospital where he worked.

Yun, a respected and gifted surgeon was in his vehicle around 11:30 p.m. at the corner of Schenectady and East New York Avenue in Crown Heights, when a verbal argument arose between him and 31-year-old biker Dexter Alexander.

According to police, Yun hit the rear view mirror of Alexander’s motorcycle with a stick, and that’s when Alexander allegedly punched Yun in the face, causing him to hit the sidewalk, Daily News reported.

When doctors arrived, they found Yun on the ground with a severe head injury. They transported him to King County Hospital where he was initially expected to survive until his health became more serious and he died a few days later.

His family and friends were heartbroken by his sudden and senseless death and described him as “brilliant” and someone who “excelled in everything he did”. He is survived by his wife Tyan, his children, Christopher and Lauren, and five brothers Alfonso, Julio, Enrique, Fernando and Jairo, their wives and several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his parents, Yen Yu Yun Chang and Cecilia Yun Yee

Yun’s death was ruled a homicide by the city medical examiner’s office, and Alexander was arrested and charged with assault.

It is unclear whether the assault charges against Alexander will be improved after Yun’s death, The New York Post reported.

Yun was a dedicated heart surgeon and served his community and worked at a hospital in the East Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn.

His family and friends were heartbroken by his sudden and senseless death and described him as “brilliant” and someone who “excelled in everything he did”.

During the 1970s, he immigrated from Colombia with his parents and five brothers and was an exemplary and gifted student from an early age.

Yun attended Bronx Science High School after being valedictorian at his elementary school, and he graduated summa cum laude from Columbia University before attending New York University Medical School.

One of his medical professors gave him the nickname “99” because his test scores were always in the 99th percentile, according to his obituary.

Yun enjoyed being a mentor and enjoyed being in the operating room and teaching medical students to be a better version of themselves, his relatives said.

He was also known for his quirky sense of humor and was usually the first to laugh at his own jokes.

Yun was a devoted family and an extraordinary heart surgeon. One of his neighbors called him an “incredible human being”

“Family was everything to Jaime and his children were the light of his life. He beamed with pride after his two children attended his alma mater and was thrilled to talk about his days as a Leo,” according to his obituary.

He has been on campus often over the past five years to hang out at his son’s fraternity house and watch his daughter play lacrosse. He was an enthusiastic spectator and his enthusiasm was contagious to many on the sidelines.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, his family, Manhasset neighbors and patients described him as “altruistic”.

Neighbor Vihas Patel called him an “incredible human being”.

He is survived by his wife Tyan, his children, Christopher and Lauren, and five brothers Alfonso, Julio, Enrique, Fernando and Jairo, their wives and several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his parents, Yen Yu Yun Chang and Cecilia Yun Yee.

A wake was held Friday at the Fairchild Funeral Home in Manhasset, followed by his funeral at the chapel. A private burial was held Sunday at Flushing Cemetery.