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Calgary

'Canada didn't have a good destiny for his parents': Boy orphaned by separate tragedies

Friends and family are rallying around a boy left orphaned by a car crash that killed his father two years after his mother died trying to stop a gas-and-dash theft in Calgary.

Ahmad Nourani Shallo was driving to Calgary from B.C. to mark 2 years since his wife was killed

Maryam Rashidi and her husband, Ahmad Nourani Shallo, with their son Koorosh in an undated family photo. (Rashidi family)

Friends and family are rallying around a little boyleft orphanedby a car crash that killed his fathertwo years after his mother diedtrying to stop a gas-and-dash theft in Calgary.

AhmadNouraniShallowas travelling to Calgary from his home in Vancouver with his eight-year-old son,Koorosh,andhis second wife when they crashed on the Trans-Canada Highway near Golden, B.C.

They wereheadingto Calgary for the two-year anniversary ofMaryam Rashidi's death.

"Everybody is crying, they're upset, they feel for the son," said friendGinaMasnadi. "Canada didn't havea good destiny for his parents. Hopefully, there's a better future for him."

RCMP release few details

RCMPin B.C. haven't released many details about the June 8 crash.

"As far as I know, [Shallo] was driving and he lost control and he went into the passing lane and hit a truck," said Masnadi.

Shallo'snewwife wentto hospital, where she underwent surgery for broken bones. She isexpected to recover.

Koorosh was asleep in the back seat of the car and suffered only minor injuries. He is now in Vancouver with family, Masnadi said.Shallo'sparents have flown to Canada from Iran to help.

The family's latest tragedy has touched many people, said Masnadi.

"Everybody is so supportive. They are calling me,textingme, asking me if we need to do any fundraising or if weneed to do anything to support Koorosh," she said.

"I'm in touch with his wife's family in Vancouver.Ahmad'sparents, they came to Vancouver last night, and we are waiting for them to let us know what we can do."

Offers of help for Kooroshhavecome from across Canada, saidEhsanHosseini, anotherfriend.

"It's kind of unbelievable that both incidents happened basically at the same time, two years from each other," he said. "They are all worried about the kid now."

The family is also waiting on the opening of the father's will at the end of the week, which may help determine who the boy will live with.

Couple moved here from Iran

Rashidi had moved with her husband from Iran, just four months before her death, to work as engineers in Calgary's oil and gas industry.

After both were laid off, Rashidi took a job as a gas station attendant at theCentex on 16th AvenueN.W.

She was only on her fourth shifton June 7, 2015, when she was killed tryingto stop a man who attempted to driveaway without paying for $113 worth of fuel.

Climbed on hood of truck

Police take Joshua Mitchell, who was eventually convicted of manslaughter in Maryam Rashidi's death, into Calgary's arrest processing unit. (CBC)

JoshuaMitchell, the manwho killedRashidi, was charged with second-degree murder in her deathand was convicted of manslaughter in early May 2017.

Rashidiclimbed on the hood of the vehicle, a stolenFordF350,while it was stuck in traffic.

Mitchelltried to jostle her off, but she fell under the truck and he drove over her, causing fatal injuries.

He will be sentenced on Aug. 30.

Shallo moved to Vancouver soon after Rashidi was killed.

With files from Dan McGarvey