Teen boy killed in crash with NICE bus dreamed of being a doctor, his family says
Hasan Suleman with his father, Javed Suleman. Hasan Suleman, a straight-A senior at The Wheatley School in Old Westbury, died Wednesday in a car crash in Old Westbury. He was 17. Credit: Suleman Family
Speaking a few hours after the funeral for his son Hasan Suleman in Mount Sinai on Friday, Javed Suleman described his 17-year-old son as a bright and energetic boy who dreamed of becoming a doctor and loved computers, music and helping others.
"He was not just my son, he was my friend," Javed Suleman said in an emotional interview with Newsday on Friday.
A straight-A senior at The Wheatley School in Old Westbury, Hasan Suleman died Wednesday after the 2019 BMW he was driving south on Glen Cove Road south near Hewlett Drive at 2:52 p.m. crossed a median and collided with an out-of-service Nassau Inter-County Express bus heading north, according to police.
Funeral services were held at the Islamic Center of Long Island in Westbury, with burial at Washington Memorial Park in Mount Sinai.
"He was just the sweetest, most bubbly and energetic kid," said his sister Saman Suleman, 22.
Hasan Suleman, right, hugs his mother, Rana Suleman, in a photo taken in 2016. Hasan Suleman was killed Wednesday when his car crashed into a NICE bus in Old Westbury. Credit: Suleman Family
Hasan, the youngest member of the Suleman family, built computers, volunteered at hospitals, was very tech-savvy and loved to give hugs, his family said.
"He was the best hug giver," said Rana Suleman, Hasan’s mother. "He was a very affectionate child."
Two weeks before his fatal accident, Hasan — who recently was accepted into New York Institute of Technology and had applied to the Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra — joined his family in Karachi, Pakistan, to celebrate the wedding of his brother Umer Suleman, 27. Hasan performed a dance routine at the wedding.
"He was having so much fun there, he was so full of life," Javed said.
Sean Feeney, principal for The Wheatley School, described Hasan as a "fun, funny and clearly smart" young man who was loved by his classmates and spent time helping younger peers with SAT preparation and getting help with teachers.
"He had this smile that just lit up every place he was, entering the building, entering the classroom," Feeney said. "He was polite, and respectful, and a little silly, and so charming, he was a wonderful young man."
Hasan was co-president of the Music Honors Society — where he played viola — and a member of the Robotics Club.
Both Hasan’s family and school officials said the last few days had been difficult for his family and the school.
When asked what she wanted people to remember about her little brother, Saman Suleman said, "How helpful he was. He was always looking for a way to help others."
