Joe Saad remembered as a kind hearted ‘mechanical genius’ as police continue to investigate his death

This was supposed to be the happiest time of her life, but instead she has had to bury her fiance after a horror hit-and-run.

Joe Saad, 57, died from injuries he suffered after he was hit by a Toyota HiLux near his Hodgson Vale home on New Year’s Eve, 2024.

Joe Saad has been remembered as a kind-hearted ‘mechanical genius’ as he was laid to rest on Tuesday.

The 57-year-old father died on January 24 from injuries he suffered in a hit-and-run collision outside his Hodgson Vale home on New Year’s Eve.

He left behind two daughters and his fiance Kylie Richards.

The funeral was held on Tuesday, just three days after they were set to be married.

“Joe was a mechanical genius,” Ms Richards said.

“He could fix anything from a remote control car to the biggest mining machinery in the world.”

Joe travelled the world as a diesel fitter and worked across Africa, Dubai and Papua New Guinea.

Joe Saad’s career as a diesel fitter took him around the world and included fixing a Bagger 293, the largest vehicle ever built.

His crowning achievement was fixing a Bagger 293 – a massive excavator that holds the Guinness World Record for the largest vehicle ever built.

“Joe was the best in his field and loved by everyone he worked with,” Ms Richards said.

“He had the biggest hands you will ever see on a man and the biggest heart, he was constantly helping someone with something.”

Joe was a St Mary’s College Old Boy who played football for Western Bulldogs and All Whites Brothers as a young man.

Ms Richards said she has spent 24 days by his bedside after he suffered a critical head injury in the New Year’s Eve collision.

Along with marrying, the couple had planned to grow their family.

“Joe and I had just done IVF, Joe wanted to add two sons to our family to carry on his name,” Ms Richards said.

“He loved dogs and wombats and was known to wrangle a camel or two.

“Joe loved a drink and a smoke.

“He was the most Australian Lebanese man you could ever meet.

“My heart is completely broken.”

The police investigation continues.

Originally published as Joe Saad remembered as a kind hearted ‘mechanical genius’ as police continue to investigate his death