Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
SOUTH JORDAN — A community effort to help one of the victims of an accused serial hit-and-run driver reached a huge milestone Friday. The relief for that victim is coming on the heels of new attempted murder charges against Anh Pham.
One of the alleged victims, Nisha Shrestha, is still hospitalized more than a month after that hit-and-run, and she's in the United States by herself studying from Nepal. That's why three Nepalese organizations are making sure she has help.
At Bawarchi restaurant in South Jordan, owner Navita Poudyal is invested in her Nepalese culture. She's been thinking about her community, especially lately.
"It's always in your brain. You're doing something, but you're thinking about that," she said.
Poudyal said she can't even imagine what it would be like to be in Shrestha's shoes. Shrestha was hit by a car while walking across 600 West along North Temple in Salt Lake City on March 11.
The accused driver, Pham, has now been charged with nine counts of attempted murder, and accused of hitting Nisha and eight others in six hit-and-run incidents spanning months, all targeting women.
"It's a question, right, in your head. You're like, 'Why me?' So I'm sure she's going through that," Poudyal said.
Shrestha appears to have been the worst off. Court documents explain she was on a ventilator in the intensive care unit after suffering a brain bleed, skull fracture, plus several broken and fractured bones.
Having arrived in Utah from her home in Nepal six months ago to study at Weber State University, Shrestha is in the U.S. without any family.
Poudyal serves as vice president of Nepalese Association of Utah and Non-Resident Nepalese Association of Utah Chapter and said the organizations didn't want her to go through the rough recovery and being victimized by a horrible crime alone.
"We rely on our family for all those difficult times," Poudyal said. "And she was doing everything just by herself."
Those two organizations plus Dhading Nepali Society America Inc. started a fundraiser for Shrestha, and organization members visited Shrestha in the hospital.
On Friday, Poudyal said they finished that fundraiser and closed it out after hitting their goal of $25,000.
"We are saying that we are here for you, anything we can do for you," Poudyal said.
Poudyal said Shrestha's mother was able to fly in from Nepal recently on an expedited visa to be by her daughter's side.
Shrestha is making progress in her recovery. Poudyal said Shrestha was moved to the general ward out of the ICU and is going through rehabilitation as she begins to start walking, eating and talking.
"She's going to be good. She's going to be a hero of her own life," she said.
Poudyal will stay invested in Shrestha's recovery, as the community effort to help her heal continues.
"I want to give her hope that, you will be taken care (of)," Poudyal said. "I want her to feel that."
