‘Everyone has a memory of him:’ City of Hamilton employee killed on the job remembered fondly

Nabil El Ahmed was killed in a collision while on the job in Hamilton on April 4. (El Ahmed family photo)

Nabil El Ahmed was someone who made a mark on every person he met.

The father of three, described by his family as a supportive and kind man, was killed last Friday morning in a collision while on the job.

The incident occurred not far from his long-time home in Ancaster’s Meadowlands neighbourhood.

At that time, the City of Hamilton public works employee was filling a pothole on Golf Links Road with a colleague when a driver struck their vehicle, injuring both men.

El Ahmed, who was 55, died at the scene.

The other man who was hit sustained minor injuries and was taken to the hospital but has since been released and is recovering at home, Hamilton police said.

Family, friends, community devastated by Ancaster man’s death

This tragedy has devasted El Ahmed’s large, close-knit family, friends, and community.

It’s especially heartbreaking as his eldest son, 30-year-old Ibrahim, was set to get married in just two weeks and found out about the loss of his father shortly after picking up his marriage certificate.

The wedding has since been postponed as El Ahmed was also very close with his soon-to-be daughter-in-law, Aseel.

“He was like her own father,” Ibrahim told CP24 on Tuesday, adding that his dad was someone who was loved by many.

That affection was seen, El Ahmed’s oldest son said, by the dozens of people who attended his father’s Janazah (funeral) and post-burial gathering on Monday.

“Everyone has a memory of him,” Ibrahim shared.

“I’m really proud to be his son. … We’ll do everything in his memory and in honour of him.”

El Ahmed was born to Palestinian parents in Saudi Arabia in 1970 and immigrated to Canada with them in 1985 when he was 15 years old.

Thirty-two years ago, he married Lina El Ali and together they had three children, Ibrahim, Jeanine, 26, and 23-year-old Hadi.

A fun-loving and larger-than-life person who lived each day to its fullest and never worried about tomorrow, El Ahmed is being remembered by his family as someone who had the “kindest of hearts and never wished ill on another.” They said in a written statement that he was always ready to lend a helping hand to a neighbour or friend.

El Ahmed worked for the City of Hamilton for more than 20 years as a heavy equipment operator. Almost a year ago, he was promoted to the role of supervisor.

“He loved his work and took pride in keeping his city clean and safe like it was his own backyard,” his family wrote.

El Ahmed was someone who loved the simple things in life: a good cup of coffee and a peaceful day of fishing, they said.

In his spare time, he enjoyed travelling, spending time outdoors, tending to his garden, fixing things with his “meticulously clean and organized” tools, and cheering on Toronto sports teams, especially the Leafs and the Jays.

Every year for her birthday, he’d take his daughter Jeanine to a Jays game.

El Ahmed’s retirement dream, his family said, was to travel the world and buy a boat to spend his days fishing on the lake.

He also leaves behind his parents, Ibrahim and Nofa, siblings Tariq, Rana, and Nabila, as well as many relatives and friends.

Police say investigation in ‘early stages’

Hamilton Police Service (HPS) previously told CP24 that the driver of a white sedan was travelling westbound on Golf Links when they struck a city vehicle that was “conducting business” in the shoulder lane.

They’ve since confirmed that two municipal employees were doing road repairs and were standing on the road at the time of the crash.

The sedan’s 76-year-old driver, who also sustained minor injuries, remained at the scene and is cooperating with the investigation, HPS said.

Const. Trevor McKenna said at this point in the investigation, the Collision Reconstruction Unit (CRU) is working with the Coroners Office as well as investigators from the provincial Ministry of Labour.

He said that the CRU has found that the required safety equipment was being utilized by the workers at the time of this collision, adding that the Ministry is investigating all other matters involving the worksite.

Mechanical Inspections of both vehicles will take place at a later date, he added.

McKenna went on to say that they have determined that the driver did not lose control of their vehicle (no medical issues) and was not driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. All other factors are still being investigated, he said.

Charges are pending at this time.

The investigation is still in its early stage and Hamilton police are asking anyone who was in the area at the time of the crash, including anyone with video or dashcam footage, to contact them at 905-546-4753 or [e-mail], or Crime Stoppers anonymously.

With files from CTV News Toronto’s Laura Sebben