FAIRFIELD — Hazem Mohamed came home from work Tuesday, took a quick shower and told his family he was going for a quick ride on his motorcycle to get some fresh air.
He never came back.
Instead, police later arrived at the family’s home to report that Mohamed had been fatally injured in a crash less than a mile away.
Family and friends were still in disbelief Thursday and said the loss of the outgoing, selfless 26-year-old left a void that could never be filled.
“The house is quiet without him,” said Mohamed’s friend Abby Calderon. “The first thing he did when he got home was try to make everyone laugh.
“He put so many people before him,” said Mariam Mohamed, one of Hazem’s sisters. “He was literally the best.”
Mohamed’s funeral was on Wednesday. Family and friends held a brief memorial service Thursday at the crash site in front of the Walgreen’s at King’s Highway East and Jennings Road, leaving pictures, flowers and balloons near the intersection. Pink hearts and “RIP HAZEM” were written in chalk on the side of the road.
“He was always a caring person,” Calderon said. “It doesn’t matter if you’ve only known him for a day or two, he’ll protect everyone.”
Two hours after the crash, police charged a Bridgeport man with negligent homicide by motor vehicle and evading responsibility for causing death. They said they found the vehicle the man was driving when he hit Mohamed on Grace Street, around the corner from the crash. The suspect will appear in court on August 10.
“It was shocking that the guy who hit him left, he didn’t even try to call an ambulance or do anything for him,” said Mariam Mohamed.
“He was also always a cautious person,” Calderon said. “He was always in full gear. It’s not like he just doesn’t care and goes for a ride, he always makes sure he’s covered no matter how hot it is.
The family said a woman who knew Mohamed from working out at the nearby Edge Fitness Club happened to be walking by and called 911 to alert police and paramedics of the crash.
Harun Rashid also met Mohamed at the gym and said he clicked with him instantly and described how he would tell friends and family that Mohamed was his adopted brother.
Rashid, one of his younger brothers, and Mohamed have become an “inseparable” trio, from training together to going on holiday.
“He always tried to win everyone’s hearts,” Rashid said. “He always went out of his way to make you smile.”
The fourth of six siblings, Mohamed was born and raised in Egypt before the family moved to New Jersey for four years and then to Fairfield about six years ago, his sister said.
He worked in sales at the Maserati dealership in Greenwich.
Rashid said Mohamed loved his job and the high-end cars he would be working with.
“Every time I had a bad day at work, he’d send me a picture of a Bugatti or a Ferrari, telling me it wasn’t good,” Rashid said. “He’d be like, ‘You want to buy this?’ You have to work.
“He will always know how to cheer me up,” Rashid said. “He will always know how to make someone happy.”
Mohamed planned to visit his older brother in Egypt and talked about his future business plans and aspirations, from driving exotic cars to owning a big house on the same street as his friends.
“He was such a nice person,” Rashid said. “My brother didn’t deserve this. It was too early. He could not experience his dreams, his life. He had so many hopes, wishes and dreams that he wanted to fulfill.
“He was an amazing person,” said Mariam Mohamed, who shared a photo of Hazem from a vacation in Colombia with his arms outstretched and a big smile on his face. “He loved everyone and was loved by everyone.”
“I miss him a lot,” Rashid said. “I know it’s only been two days, I just feel like he’s going to text me, ‘What time are we going to the gym?’ It still doesn’t feel like he’s gone. It feels like he’s still here.”