The grandfather who died when his car was rammed by alleged Bourke Street killer Zain Khan was a generous philanthropist who stood up for female scientists.
John Haasz, 76, died at the scene when Khan allegedly drove his mother’s Toyota through the intersection of Russell and Bourke streets in Melbourne’s CBD and collided with his white Hyundai.
Mr Haasz was just 5km from his home in Brunswick East when the tragedy happened at 6.20pm on Friday.
Khan, 26, also reportedly hit a second car, a gray Mazda, but the driver survived.
Moments earlier he allegedly encountered three pedestrians, two of whom suffered head injuries. Another man is recovering with a broken pelvis and a concussion.
John Haasz, 76, died at the scene when his white Hyundai was allegedly hit by Zain Khan driving his mother’s Toyota (scene pictured)
Bunches of flowers have been left at the corner of Bourke Street and Russell Street in Melbourne CBD where Ms Haasz, a grandfather and noted philanthropist, died
Zain Khan was faced with ten charges, including murder, after the horrific incident. He was taken into custody and will appear in court in January
Haasz died at the scene when Zain Khan allegedly hit him in Melbourne
A woman who was crossing the street at the time miraculously escaped without injury when the two vehicles collided right in front of her.
Mr Haasz was known for his charitable donations to the arts and sciences and his advocacy for equality at the University of Melbourne.
He also funded several awards and programs at the university, and gave money to Wesley College, the Victorian Opera, the Australian National Academy of Music and the Australian Center for Moving Image.
In 2008, he donated $100,000 to the University of Melbourne’s Astrophysics Research and Study Group.
The academic funded three physics scholarships each year worth up to $5,000 each.
Last year he funded the Women in Science Emerging Researcher (WISER) Awards at the University of Melbourne for 2021 and 2022.
“It’s important that women feel like they have equal opportunities and positions in these areas,” Haasz said.
The prizes were won by Professor Jennifer Flegg, Dr Iliana Medina Guzman, Associate Professor Elizabeth Hinde and Dr Helen Green.
Mr Haasz also donated to the Australian National University.
On Sunday, Khan’s mother broke her silence to reveal that her son had mental health issues.
The woman, who did not want to be identified, said her son is a “nice boy” and a “humble son” who became “sick” since he stopped taking essential medicines.
It also emerged that Khan, a former hairdresser, posted a series of strange Facebook posts in recent years, including one in which he shared a link to a ‘soul-touching Quran recitation’.
‘I am not angry. even god says so,” Khan captioned the September 2020 post.
Another post from 2019 simply read: “Justice will be done.”
The accused killer also repeatedly shared his admiration for a notorious American rapper who was murdered in 2016 while awaiting trial on domestic violence charges.
Khan expressed his admiration for Jahseh Onfroy, known professionally as XXXTentacion, in one post, adding: “he had light in his soul. he is my only psychologist’.
He was working in a cafe at Melbourne’s public Sunshine Hospital, about 20km west of Bourke Street, on the day of the tragedy.
Creepy footage shows Khan, dressed all in white, sitting on the roof of the Toyota for several minutes before police officers take him down and arrest him (pictured)
But Khan did not complete his shift on Friday and instead left work early.
A video of Khan has also surfaced online in which he is sitting in a car and staring intensely into the camera lens. Other clips show Khan dancing alone.
Khan was charged with one count of murder, three counts of attempted murder, three counts of intentionally causing serious injury and two counts of conduct endangering life.
He was remanded to appear before the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on January 15, 2024.