Abdul Raheem Fahad Syed, the 29-year old taxi driver, killed in a crash on Saturday, December 23 has been rested in peace in his hometown on Saturday, December 30.
The family were sent on Emirates 9:30 p.m. flight to Hyderabad on Thursday, December 28 to perform Abdul’s last rites.
The family reached Hyderabad on Friday, December 29 at 8 p.m., India time.
Abdul’s funeral was conducted in Hyderabad on Saturday, December 30 at 2 p.m. (India time) after the noon prayers with a large gathering of people who had come to express their solidarity to the family.
The Indian High Commission, amid holidays, made all the necessary arrangements to make sure Abdul’s body is sent to his family as early as possible.
Abdul was a driver for Discount Taxi and lived with his wife and son in Avondale, Auckland. He was killed on the job in the early hours of December 23 when a 20-year old drunk driver slammed his black Mercedes on to the driver side of Abdul’s Toyota Prius, killing him at the scene.
The driver of the Mercedes was apprehended along with his passenger later the same day, and multiple charges were laid.
Abdul Raheem Fahad Syed.jpg (Picture: Supplied)
The 20-year-old driver was identified as Farshad Bahadori Esfehani, a resident of Mt Roskill area who was driving under the influence of alcohol three times over the legal limit.
Esfehani appeared in the Auckland District Court on Wednesday, December 27 before the justice of peace and was charged with driving with excess breath alcohol causing death, driving with excess breath alcohol causing injury, and failure to stop and ascertain injury.
He was granted bail by the court and will next appear in court on Wednesday, February 28, 2018.
Court documents showed that Esfehani blew the breath alcohol reading of 908mcg of alcohol per litre of breath. The limit for drivers aged 20 years and over is 250mcg, and those who blow over 400mcg will face criminal charges.
Abdul Raheem Fahad Syed.jpg (Picture: Supplied)
Abdul’s friends set up a Givealittle page to raise funds for the family. The page has raised $82,225 from 1559 generous donors as on 6 p.m. on Sunday, December 31, 2017.