WASHINGTON: Over USD 600,000 (Rs 4.1 crore approx) has been raised in just eight days through crowd-funding for the treatment of a 13-year-old Indian-American girl fighting for her life after an Iraq war veteran in California mowed her and her family in a suspected case of hate crime.
On April 23, Dhriti Narayan, a grade 7 student, her brother, father and other family members were crossing a road in Sunnyvale when they were struck down by a former soldier, Isaiah Peoples, 34, reportedly to be suffering from Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Peoples, an Iraq war veteran, injured seven others, who were crossing the road, including Dhriti's father and her 9-year-old brother. The family was targeted apparently in a hate crime because the motorist thought they were Muslims, police said.
Peoples, who was unharmed in the incident, is facing eight counts of attempted murder and is being detained at Santa Clara County Jail with no bail set.
According to a crowdfunding page, GoFundMe, set up to help the family cover her medical costs, Dhriti has suffered life threatening injuries including severe brain injuries and is currently on life support.
Since the fundraising appeal went live on GoFundMe eight days ago, more than 12,400 people have donated money and have raised around USD 605,000. The target was USD 500,000.