Teenager who died in ‘hit and run' had just arrived in UK ‘for a better future'

Rhyl Journal

13 hours ago

Abdullah Yaser Abdullah Al Yazidi was walking along Staniforth Road, in the Darnall area of Sheffield, on Wednesday afternoon when he was hit by an Audi car which appeared to be driving on the wrong side of the road at three electric bikes.
The car also hit one of the bikes, leaving an 18-year-old man with serious injuries, before leaving the scene.
Police are continuing to question a 20-year-old man on suspicion of murder and attempted murder after he was arrested in Kent on Thursday.
On Friday, South Yorkshire Police said a second man, aged 26, who had been arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender has now been re-arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder.
Relatives and friends of Abdullah said he was devoted to his family and would 'light up their faces with a big smile'.
He arrived in the UK from Yemen two or three months ago, and had devoted himself to learning English ahead of starting at college in September.
Abdullah's relative Saleh Alsirkal runs the corner shop on Staniforth Road which the teenager visited just before the crash.
He said he had had a hospital appointment earlier in the afternoon and popped into the store, as he often did, before heading off to find some food.
Mr Alsirkal said: 'His dad brought him over to change his life, to get a better future for his son, but this has happened and destroyed everything.
'God bless him. He's is in a better place than this place. Good has chosen him.'
He said: 'I want to thank everybody for their support. Everyone has come together and this has helped the family.'
Mr Alsirkal said Abdullah was a 'kind boy' who just wanted to look after his family, including his three sisters.
He said he was really enjoying learning English.
'Every time he had a new word to learn he was so excited about it,' he said.
'It meant a lot to him and he learned quick. Sometimes he would stay in the shop just so he could talk to people. He tried to be friends with everyone.'
He said: 'He wanted to be the main guy for the family. He was 16-years-old but he was a clever man. I would call him a man.'
Abdullah's friend Oasmah Thabet said: 'What I can tell you for certain about him is that he really cared for his family.
'You can really tell the character of somebody by the support they give to their family.
'It just shows the gratitude he had, and he spread that gratitude to the people around that community.
'To the people who would come around and just say hello to him, he would light up their faces with a big smile.'
Mr Thabet said: 'He was here for a few months and was starting the learn English as well.
'I'd like to think that we related in the sense that both our families migrated from Yemen to here.
'The reason our family came here was for a better life – to live the dream.
'For something to happen like this and for your dreams to be cut so short, it's a tragic loss for the family and it's a just a shock that can't be described.'
He said that every family in the area was thinking 'what if it's my kid next'.
'That's something that no parent should ever feel,' he said.
Detectives have said they believe a grey Audi drove towards three electric bikes, colliding with one rider, who suffered serious injuries which are not thought to be life-threatening, before hitting Abdullah.
Detective Chief Inspector Benjamin Wood said: 'This is a heartbreaking case in which a completely innocent boy has lost his life.
'Our thoughts remain with Abdullah's family and our priority is securing justice for them.
'A murder investigation has been launched and we have a team of detectives working around the clock.
'I am renewing our message to not share footage of this incident which may cause further distress to Abdullah's loved ones.'
Mr Wood asked for anyone with footage or information to contact officers and said he was keen to hear from the riders of two electric bikes who were in the area at the time.
Two people, a man, aged 46, and a woman, aged 45, arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender have both been bailed pending further inquiries, police said.