The mood remains somber for many in the Pakistani-American community in New York at the passing of Hasan Suleman, the 17 years old son of a known and respected cardiologist, Dr. Javed Suleman.
Young Suleman, a student of twelve grade, did not know that he will never return home alive on Wednesday, March 9, when he went to The Wheatley School in Old Westbury.
It was a five-minute drive from high school to home in Old Westbury, but the 17-year-old never made it. A top honors student, Hasan met an accident when his SUV crossed the median and collided head-on with a Nassau Inter-County Express bus on Glen Cove Road.
Young Suleman was driving northbound on Glen Cove Road and hit the bus head-on near I U Willets Road in Old Westbury, according to police.
The bus driver received minor injuries, but Suleman tragically passed away.
Police said it’s too early to have a definitive cause of the crash, but there were reports that driving conditions were slick.
Funeral prayers were held at the Islamic Center of Long Island in Westbury, NY, on March 11 after Friday prayers. A large number of members of the Pakistani community, family friends, and late Hasan’s class fellows attended the Janaza and subsequent burial services.
The shocking news was splashed by the LI-based media prominently and lit up the community members’ social media accounts where condolences started pouring in.
“He was a wonderful child. He was our sweetheart,” one news report quoted a relative as saying. “The whole family is doctors, so he was convinced to be a doctor,” the relative added.
“This is a family that’s been with us for many years. He was the youngest of three to go through our systems,” CBS quoted Mark Kamberg, president of the East Williston Board of Education, as saying.
“The principal and teachers were here last night. They had such nice words to say about him,” it quoted Lyla Khan, the victim’s cousin, as saying. “We know he must have been a light everywhere.”
“We are very lucky here on Long Island because we are surrounded by such incredible school districts. They all offered their own crisis team, their own social workers, their own school psychologists if we needed additional services,” Kamberg said.
The extended Suleman family had just returned from a celebratory two weeks together.
“We went for his older brother’s wedding … back home, our country, Pakistan,” said Shahid Suleman, Hasan’s uncle.
Pakistan Week extends its heartfelt deepest condolences to Dr. Javed Suleman and his family in the hour of personal loss and grief. May Allah rest the departed soul in eternal peace.