‘Smart, modest, and respectful girl’: Father’s tribute to daughter killed after being crushed by pole in horror crash

The father of a young woman who was crushed to death by a pole, following a truck crash in Melbourne’s north, has made a heartbreaking tribute to his “smart, modest, and respectful girl”. Police believe a truck, which was travelling north on the Hume Highway in Somerton, was involved in a minor collision with a red sedan about 7.45am near Austrak Dr. The truck then rolled and crashed into a pole. The pole then fell and landed on a silver Honda, which was travelling in the opposite direction on the Hume Highway. Paramedics treated the female driver of the Honda, but she died at the scene. The woman has since been identified as Sayyida Nafeesa Zulfikar, an administrative and enrolment officer at the independent Islamic school MyCollege in Dallas. In a heartbreaking Facebook post, her father Zulfikar Shariff described her as having a “pure and sincere heart”. “She is deeply caring and loving. She will go out of her way to help anyone in need,” he wrote. “Alhamdulillah Nafeesa keeps her prayers and is a smart, modest, and respectful girl.” Speaking to 9 News, Mr Shariff said his daughter held the family together and she would always be there to help anyone. “She was just driving to work, thinking about what she’s going to do for work and how she is going to help others,” he told the outlet. “Everyone keeps talking about how much of an impact she had in their lives.” In their own post, MyCollege said Ms Zulfikar was cherished for her “warm presence, welcoming nature and the genuine care she extended to every family, student and colleague”. “She consistently demonstrated professionalism, compassion and integrity in all her interactions,” the school wrote. “Her loss is felt deeply across the entire MyCollege community.” Following the crash, the male truck driver was transported to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The occupants of the red sedan were not injured during the collision. Detectives from the major crash unit have launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the fatal crash. The fatal crash has caused traffic chaos on the Hume Highway, which has been closed in both directions between Austrak Rd and the Cooper St and Somerton Rd intersection. Motorists have been advised to avoid the area by using the Hume Freeway, Aitken Boulevard or Mickelham Rd between Epping and Craigieburn. “There are significant delays for traffic in the area,” a VicTraffic statement read. “Please allow extra time.” Anyone who witnessed the incident or has dashcam is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.