Volkan Aksoy had big dreams for the future, a love for movies and TV shows, and planned to travel to Japan with friends from high school this year.
He was a hard worker, but the kind of colleague who would constantly bring laughter and fun to the workplace while still getting on with the job.
Now, his friends just want one more moment with the man they consider themselves lucky to have known.
Aksoy, 20, was killed outside the Supernova comic culture convention at the Melbourne Showgrounds on Saturday after a car allegedly swerved across lanes of traffic, mounted the footpath and hit him and his friends.
Aksoy died at the scene while another 20-year-old man who was also hit remains in a stable condition at the Royal Melbourne Hospital with significant lower body injuries.
A third member of the group, who was not physically injured, was taken to hospital suffering “trauma”, police said.
Hasha Kong, a friend and colleague who worked with Aksoy at the Schnitz outlet at Parkmore shopping centre in Keysborough, said Aksoy’s ability to make his co-workers laugh, even on his “bad days”, made the reality of losing him so much harder.
“He is so smart, intelligent and so thoughtful,” she said. “He’d be so invested in deep conversations whether it’d go political, spiritual or dark, he’s the type of man to understand different perspectives. He loves to have a respectful debate.
“He had such a great sense of humour, he just knows when to lighten up the mood. I cannot stop saying how much he was just such a good friend to all of us.”
Having watched Aksoy grow from a shy 17-year-old to “the well-mannered, easygoing, social gentleman that he became”, Kong said the Schnitz staff would feel his loss every day.
“We all collectively wished we had one more moment with him. We will always cherish him not just as our co-worker, but as our friend,” she said.
Kong said Aksoy was more like a best friend than a colleague. He was someone who could resume a conversation from where it was left previously, she said, and was always sharing funny and dramatic stories about his life.
“I remembered he was so excited to go to Japan at the end of the year with his high school best friends, until this happened,” Kong said.
“But I am so grateful to have met him. I believe that anyone would love to have a person just like Volkan in their life.”
Aksoy’s heartbroken mother, who asked not to be named, said her family was struggling to come to terms with the tragedy, “particularly given the circumstances in which it occurred”.
“His life was taken far too soon – there’s no other way to describe it,” she said.
She said her son had a beautiful spirit and would be profoundly missed by all who knew him.
The man allegedly responsible for the fatal crash, Awer Dau, 33, has been charged with dangerous driving causing death and culpable driving while on bail.
Police allege Dau did not have a driver’s licence at the time of Saturday’s crash in Ascot Vale.
Dau appeared in Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Sunday wearing a dark-coloured jumper and cargo pants. He sat with his fingers interlaced and head bowed during the hearing.
A police prosecutor told the court investigators needed 16 weeks to gather a large amount of evidence related to the crash, including CCTV footage, mobile phone information, mechanical and forensic evidence from the car and witness statements.
Dau did not apply for bail and is due to return to court in September.
“This should have never happened to begin with,” Kong said.
“You will watch us now from the sky. Maybe we’ll see you in the next life. We love you so much, Volkan.”
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