Abdul Wahab Baktash and his family fled Afghanistan three years ago after the U.S. military pulled out. As a bodyguard for a U.S. ambassador, his job could be dangerous.
But Baktash鈥檚 family never imagined working in Texas would prove deadly. In late June, the 33-year-old was killed after being struck by another vehicle as he drove on Lyndon B. Johnson Freeway.
Now, his widow Rozina Baktash and their three children ages 5 and under are struggling financially and face an uncertain future in a country and culture they barely know.
Rozina doesn鈥檛 speak much English and said she isn鈥檛 able to work because of a foot condition that requires surgery, so she鈥檚 relying on help from friends and family.
She spoke through an interpreter and family friend Aziz Budri.
鈥淚t's indescribable the change that has taken place in our lives,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut I'm trying to focus on the children鈥eep them happy as much as possible, so they don't miss their dad as much.鈥�
It was after 2 a.m. on June 24 when Baktash was driving eastbound on LBJ. He was driving for Lyft and planning to head home, according to his brother-in-law Habib Hamidi, who was talking with him on the phone.
鈥淗e said somebody was doing something wrong on the road. He told me like 鈥榃hat is this guy doing?鈥� Hamidi recalled. 鈥淚 heard a loud bang and then everything went quiet.鈥�
According to the Dallas police crash report, Baktash was in the middle lane when a vehicle in the left lane made an unsafe lane change and hit his car.
The collision caused Baktash to lose control and travel across all lanes, ultimately hitting a guardrail and then a metal light pole, which toppled and landed on top of his car.
Hamidi was stunned and frantically tried to reach him.
鈥淚 kept calling him and calling him and no answers,鈥� he said.
Now the weight of what happened feels like a burden. Hamidi hasn鈥檛 been able to stop thinking about it or Baktash鈥檚 voice during their phone call.
鈥淭he last word from his mouth鈥e told me, 鈥楲et鈥檚 go to Vegas. Who knows who鈥檚 alive tomorrow or not?鈥� Hamidi said. 鈥淎nd that was the last conversation and it鈥檚 still stuck with me.鈥�
Dallas police haven鈥檛 identified the driver of the vehicle that struck Baktash鈥檚 car, but they鈥檙e still investigating.
Rozina, who鈥檚 29, said her husband wanted her to learn English and she hopes to do that someday soon. Now it鈥檚 more important than ever.
A has been created to help the family. In Afghanistan, Baktash worked as a bodyguard for John R. Bass who served as the U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan from 2017 to 2020.
But his two biggest priorities here were his children.
鈥淗e wanted them to get a good education, become doctors, lawyers,鈥� his wife said. 鈥淏ut in Afghanistan, he was a bodybuilding champion and he wanted to continue that here.鈥�
Rozina proudly showed photos of her husband, some of them with U.S. government officials; others of him at body building competitions.
It pains her that he won鈥檛 get to fulfill his dreams or see their children grow up.
鈥淢y husband was the best husband that one could have,鈥� Rozina said. 鈥淥ur marriage was great. The eight years that I lived with him were really the best of my life and now that he鈥檚 no more, I don鈥檛 know how to live without him.鈥�
Farah Husain, who鈥檚 with the Law Offices of Omar Khawaja, said she and her colleagues are working with the family to investigate what happened the night Baktash was killed.
鈥淚f anyone has any witnesses or knows anything, there is someone that knows something out there, if they could please come forward with the information and let us know,鈥� she said.
Husain said the family needs a lot of help since Baktash was the one who provided financially for the family.
鈥淭his case is so heartbreaking,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he family came here from overseas for a better life and the saddest thing about it is the night he was out, he was trying to make more money so that he could buy gifts for the children the next day.鈥�
Anyone with information that could help the investigation can contact Detective Jason Massey at the Dallas Police Department.
Got a tip? Email Stella M. Ch谩vez at schavez@kera.org. You can follow Stella on Twitter .
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