Father speaks of his son, 19, who was killed in a motorcycle crash in Totowa
Throughout life there are people who seem to be everyone's friend. They often have qualities that make them stand out, such as being sincere, outgoing, honest, funny or kind.
John Saleh said his son Ahmad was one of those people and embodied all of those qualities.
Everywhere they went, Saleh said, Ahmad would make friends and make people laugh. He had a unique personality, and he could make any situation fun. He had an amazing connection with people, quickly going from a simple "hello" in the hallway to a new friend.
"This boy had so many friends," Saleh said. "I mean, for a 19-year-old to have so many people get to know you, unbelievable."
On March 13, Ahmad Saleh was killed in a motorcycle crash on Route 46 in Totowa when his 2008 Yamaha R6 motorcycle collided with a 2014 Acura MDX.
Ahmad and his passenger, also 19, were rushed to the hospital, where Ahmad was pronounced dead and his passenger was in stable condition. The 22-year-old driver of the Acura was not injured. The Passaic County Prosecutor's Office has not responded to multiple requests for an update.
The life of Ahmad Saleh
A lifelong Wayne resident, Ahmad graduated from Al-Ghazaly High School in Wayne last year. Before attending Al-Ghazaly, he studied in the Wayne school district from first grade until the end of his sophomore year of high school.
Described by Saleh as adventurous, Ahmad participated in wrestling at both the recreational and high school levels. He later went on to practice jiujitsu as well. He loved outdoor activities such as camping, skiing, snowboarding and riding ATVs, which he often did with his father.
Since graduating from high school, Ahmad had been training to be a barber, opening a small shop at their house and giving free haircuts to his friends. Saleh said this was Ahmad's passion.
A repetitive theme in Saleh's memories of his son was how friendly and kind he was, even all the way back to when he was a little boy.
Saleh shared a story from when Ahmad was in elementary school. He came home one day and asked if he could go out and buy a sweater for his friend who needed one. Word of this simple act of kindness made its way to the teacher, who decided to start a pencil drive, giving the kids pencils to sell so they could pool the money and purchase items for students in need. This practice quickly spread through the whole school.
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"It just started with him thinking of his friend. He wanted to give him a sweater, and look at what it ended up as," Saleh said. "This is what Ahmad wanted. He didn't want any of his friends to have less than what he had."
Saleh also shared a more recent story in which Ahmad's kindness extended beyond people to a shelter cat in need. This cat has since become an important piece of the Saleh family.
Back in October, Ahmad was in a car crash. Recovering from the crash and feeling bad for his passenger, who was also recovering, Ahmad was feeling down. Somebody recommended that he get a pet, and he decided he wanted a cat. However, his older brother is allergic, and his mother is afraid. Determined to make it work, Ahmad found a cat at a shelter in Asbury Park. The cat was in rough shape, having been abused and in need of some medical help.
"He picked the one who needed the most help and said that the cat came to him, and he wanted to take care of it," Saleh said. "He got insurance for the cat, took her to the vet, gave her medicine, spent so much time helping her, and now that cat is the most beautiful cat you will ever see, and it is so friendly."
Since Ahmad's death, the cat has provided solace for his mother, who was afraid of cats and dogs but now sleeps with her every night.
"It's like he knew," Saleh said. "It's Ahmad's miracle. He knew that he was going to leave us, and he left something with us."
Ahmad was buried on March 15, two days after his death and on the first Friday during Ramadan. Friday is considered the holiest day of the week in Islam, and its significance is magnified during Ramadan.
An unexpected series of last-minute occurrences allowed Saleh to plan the funeral for this significant Friday.
"I think he had not just a connection with people, but he had connection with the creator. All the signs are being sent to me," Saleh said. "Then I am looking on the day of the burial next to where we buried Ahmad and realized it is his grandfather's grave next to him. I don't think that was all a coincidence. I think that was God's miracle. This kid was loved."
He expressed how amazed he was to see the sheer number of people who attended their mosque and community center, CBA in Wayne, and went to the cemetery for the burial — again, illustrating how loved his son clearly was by so many people.
Saleh wanted to extend a special thank-you to everyone who attended the funeral and anybody who had positive feelings toward Ahmad.
"I am so grateful for all of the people who came in support," said Saleh, who has nothing but positive things to say about his son. "I am proud of him. I really lost someone who I enjoy being with. The same fun that he had with his friends, I did, too. I went to his wrestling matches, I went skiing with him, I went everywhere with him. We played soccer. He was my best friend."
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Wayne NJ man remembered after fatal Totowa motorcycle crash
