Arif Mohammed, a first-year computer engineering major at Northeastern’s Oakland campus, was killed in a double hit-and-run Nov. 19, according to local reports. He was 18 years old.
The fatal crash, which occurred just before 11 p.m. on Highway 13 in Oakland, California, began with the collision of a Zipcar Mohammed had rented and an unknown car that immediately drove away after the accident, according to several news reports.
Following the initial crash, the Zipcar was disabled. While standing on the shoulder of the road to examine the car’s damage, Mohammed was struck again by a second car that attempted to swerve to avoid his vehicle, fatally striking him, NBC Bay Area reported.
The second car also drove away after hitting Mohammed. Police say they are still searching for the two separate black sedans they have identified as the vehicles involved in the double hit-and-run, according to NBC Bay Area.
The investigation into the two hit-and-runs is ongoing and both drivers have yet to be identified, NBC Bay Area reported.
California Highway Patrol officers said they anticipate the black sedan that struck and killed Mohammed bears noticeable damage to its front bumper, hood and potentially the front windshield.
Mohammed was originally from New York City and was a part of the university’s Global Scholars program, studying at the Oakland campus during his first year at Northeastern. A GoFundMe page has been set up to raise money for a memorial foundation in Mohammed’s name and help the family with legal fees. As of Dec. 16, the GoFundMe has raised over $4,770.
“Growing up, Arif has always been dedicated to helping his community and family. He has always gone out of his way to make sure his cousins are safe and tutoring each of his younger brothers to succeed in their studies,” the GoFundMe, organized by Sabirah Mahmud and Kammal Mohammed, said. Mohammed was also a tutor at Mamun’s, a standardizing testing tutoring company, and “touched the hearts of students all over New York City,” the page read.
Mohammed graduated from Brooklyn Technical High School in New York in 2023 and was remembered for being actively involved in the school and community.
“The Brooklyn Tech alumni community is heartbroken to report the death on Sunday, November 19th, of Arif Mohammed ‘23, a gifted freshman studying on a full scholarship at Northeastern University at Mills College in Oakland, CA,” Brooklyn Tech posted on its Instagram account, calling the incident “tragic.”
“A Software Engineering Major at Tech, Arif, age 18, was beloved by his Tech classmates and teachers alike. The eldest son in a family of Bangladeshi heritage, Arif was a member of Tech’s close-knit Muslim Student Association (Tech Taqwa) and a tutor at Mamun’s Tutorial, among many other activities,” the caption read.
In his honor, Mohammed’s family has created the Arif Mohammed Memorial Foundation, which will be committed to honoring Mohammed’s love for tutoring and mentoring students, according to the GoFundMe page.
“We, the family, are launching this GoFundMe to gather funds to establish tutoring services, scholarships, and charity funds that share our core values for education equity and college readiness,” the GoFundMe read.
