A 19-year-old Indian student, Komalpreet Kaur, died in Perth, Australia, after she was hit by a car and trapped underneath it.
The accident took place around 11.30 pm last Saturday at the Bentley Plaza car park on Albany Highway, near John Street.
Komalpreet was critically injured but alive when she was taken to Royal Perth Hospital. She later succumbed to her injuries.
The 19-year-old driver of the blue Hyundai i30 hatchback has not yet been charged and is currently part of the investigation. Witnesses told 9News that the driver knew the women and was seen begging people to call an ambulance.
Nathan Burge, who was present at the scene when Kaur was struck by the car, said they heard a loud bang.
“I just started to yell out, ‘Any man, any man,’ pointing at people and asking them to come over. I wanted to flip that car over,” he said.
“We ended up with a good 10 to 12 people on it. We got the car up and someone pulled her out,” he added.
A woman from the crowd then stepped in and began performing CPR on Kaur before she was rushed to hospital, where she later died.
A fundraiser was set up with a target of raising 50,000 Australian dollars, but it has already surpassed the goal, with more than 82,000 dollars raised.
“It is with profound sadness that we share the heartbreaking loss of Komalpreet Kaur, a beautiful 19-year-old young woman who tragically passed away in a car accident in Perth, Australia,” fundraiser organiser Harpinder Singh Kaler wrote.
“Komalpreet was full of life, kindness and dreams for the future. Her sudden passing has left her family and friends devastated and struggling to come to terms with this unimaginable tragedy,” the fundraiser note said.
The funds are being raised to support Komalpreet’s family during this difficult time. The donations will help cover funeral expenses, memorial arrangements and the significant cost of repatriating her body to India so that she can be laid to rest in her homeland, surrounded by her loved ones.
“This is an overwhelming burden for the family, both emotionally and financially. Any contribution, no matter how small, will provide much-needed support and help bring Komalpreet home to her family,” the note added.
Komalpreet was from Ludhiana and was studying nursing in Perth while also working part-time. Her father, Amrik Singh, is a retired Subedar from the Indian Army.
