HALIFAX \u2014 Tributes are pouring in for a Dalhousie University engineering professor and cyclist described as a mentor and father figure who died following a road accident in Halifax. <\/p>\n
A 71-year-old man was cycling along Strawberry Hill Street when the driver of a pickup truck opened the vehicle\u2019s door into his path around 1 p.m. Friday, police said.<\/p>\n
The cyclist died in hospital, prompting some calls for motorists to be more careful when getting behind the wheel.<\/p>\n
Halifax Regional Police said the driver of the pickup truck was issued a summary offence ticket of $180. They did not immediately say if any further charges are expected.<\/p>\n
Over the weekend, the Sabeel Muslim and Youth Community Center in Halifax said in online posts that Nouman Ali had died following a serious accident.<\/p>\n
\u201cToday, the Muslim community in Halifax lost a great man and a dear brother, who played a major role in establishing many of our Islamic centres in this country,\u201d reads the centre’s statement. <\/p>\n
Dalhousie\u2019s faculty of engineering issued a separate statement Monday sharing the news of Ali\u2019s death, saying the dedicated professor and researcher was a pillar of the community for more than 30 years.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat he\u2019ll be remembered for most was his unwavering commitment to the people around him. He went above and beyond for everyone,\u201d reads the statement.<\/p>\n
\u201cDr. Ali was always there with his time and generosity. His door was always open, and he never hesitated to help,\u201d it continued.<\/p>\n
The school said Ali\u2019s research in transportation engineering and pavement helped make a difference well beyond Dalhousie, and he cared deeply for his family and the broader community around him. <\/p>\n
\u201cTo his students, he was much more than a professor, described by many as a mentor, supporter and father figure. He believed in their potential, and each day did everything he could to help them succeed,\u201d the statement reads. <\/p>\n
Stephen MacKay, a Halifax cycling advocate, said bikers across the city are mourning Ali. <\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of people are missing a friend, a family member, an ally today,\u201d he said in an interview Tuesday. <\/p>\n
MacKay said the resulting $180 ticket makes it clear that deaths caused by drivers are treated differently than other accidental causes of death. <\/p>\n
\u201cAny time someone causes somebody\u2019s death through any means that\u2019s non-vehicular, it is going to amount to charges. Almost always, you\u2019re looking at manslaughter, but not if it\u2019s done with a vehicle,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
MacKay said drivers have a responsibility to safely operate their vehicle, which includes being aware of their surroundings when exiting. <\/p>\n
MacKay said the tragedy has prompted many Halifax cyclists to share their own experiences of getting so-called \u201cdoored\u201d while biking. This refers to someone opening a car door into the path of a cyclist, which can often result in injury.<\/p>\n
He said many experienced cyclists have had this happen to them, and for some, \u201cit can be their last experience cycling.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt may not be a fatal incident like it was the other day, but this is the kind of thing that injures someone or scares someone to the point that they won\u2019t get on a bike again,\u201d MacKay said. <\/p>\n
He said drivers would benefit from practising a technique called a \u201cDutch Reach\u201d \u2014 which is when a driver uses their right hand to open the door, ensuring that the driver\u2019s body turns to look at the road before leaving a vehicle.<\/p>\n
Those on the passenger-side of a vehicle should do the same with their left hand, MacKay said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is an important thing people can do to keep cyclists safer,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
MacKay said members of the Halifax cycling community are in the early stages of planning a memorial bike ride in Ali’s honour.<\/p>\n
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 21, 2026.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
HALIFAX \u2014 Tributes are pouring in for a Dalhousie University engineering professor and cyclist described as a mentor and father figure who died following a road accident in Halifax. A 71-year-old man was cycling along Strawberry Hill Street when the driver of a pickup truck opened the vehicle\u2019s door into his path around 1 p.m. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":522,"featured_media":6604,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"guid":"299f947e-d363-4d60-9cfa-c6ad264a46f4","source":"The Canadian Press","byline":"Lyndsay Armstrong","published":"2026-07-21 12:23:37","updated":"2026-07-21 12:23:37","_infotelid":"","_prepressid":"","_multisite_post_sync":"","_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1491,1276,1316,1297],"tags":[],"region":[1280,1322,1305],"class_list":["post-6603","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-atlantic","category-disaster","category-social","category-sports","region-canada","region-halifax","region-nova-scotia"],"blocksy_meta":[],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/infonews.ca\/inwheels\/news\/6603\/tributes-pour-in-for-halifax-engineering-professor-who-died-after-a-road-accident\/","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Tributes pour in for Halifax engineering professor who died after a road accident","url":"http:\/\/infonews.ca\/inwheels\/news\/6603\/tributes-pour-in-for-halifax-engineering-professor-who-died-after-a-road-accident\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/infonews.ca\/inwheels\/news\/6603\/tributes-pour-in-for-halifax-engineering-professor-who-died-after-a-road-accident\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/infonews.ca\/inwheels\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/inwheels-099d88d659e36515a01c8cb8b04f5a68b4df018ac3cd903e0d379169e696ff9a.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/infonews.ca\/inwheels\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/inwheels-099d88d659e36515a01c8cb8b04f5a68b4df018ac3cd903e0d379169e696ff9a.jpg"},"articleSection":"Atlantic","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"The Canadian Press"}],"creator":["The Canadian Press"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"iNwheels","logo":""},"keywords":[],"dateCreated":"2026-07-21T19:23:37Z","datePublished":"2026-07-21T19:23:37Z","dateModified":"2026-07-21T19:23:37Z"},"rendered":"