A Carleton student who died after being struck by a vehicle Oct. 14 is being remembered as a happy, sports-loving brother and friend by those who knew him.
Arif Merani, a 22-year-old law student at Carleton, died on Highway 401 near the village of Lansdowne. He had gotten out of his car to check a flat tire when another vehicle struck him, according to Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).
He was declared dead on the scene.
Merani was a member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity.
Evan Dudley, another member, said Merani was a loyal friend.
“He was like another brother to me. He was always there for me. Anything ever happened, he’d come right over,” Dudley said.
Every year Dudley would help Merani move into his new apartment because he wanted to live somewhere new.
“It was always that thing that we’d do. It’s just going to be weird next year. I don’t get to move him somewhere,” he said.
It was an example of the kind of energy Dudley said Merani had. In addition to finishing his LSATs, Dudley said Merani was the kind of guy who never stood still. He’d often spend his days playing basketball.
“He was always doing something . . . He didn’t look athletic, but that boy could move,” he said.
Dudley was writing a paper when he got the call that Merani had died. He said at first, he couldn’t believe it.
“It didn’t even feel real, to be honest. You can’t process it. You hear it and then it takes a few hours because . . . you think you’re dreaming. It just crushed me,” he said.
Merani’s death also affected the friends who knew him, Dudley said, adding that the Greek community in Ottawa has been giving a lot of support to him and others.
A Carleton spokesperson said the university was saddened by the news of Merani’s death.
“It’s always tragic when stuff like this happens,” he said.
The university is reaching out to professors and family, he said, according to protocol they have in place for the sudden death of students. The university can also provide counselling to friends and members of the community.
Kappa Sigma has made buttons with Merani’s name and picture to remember him by. They will also hold a vigil on Oct. 18 in the university quad, Dudley said.
“We’re trying to stick together and support each other and try to remember the good times we had. He would have wanted us to celebrate his life, not mourn,” he said.
No charges have been laid in Merani’s death, and the investigation is ongoing. Anybody with information is asked to call OPP.
