(Image source from: DailyMail)

On April 23, an Iraq war veteran intentionally mowed down the Indian family in Sunnyvale in California in a suspected hate crime putting the life of a 13-year-old Indian American girl’s in peril.

The girl Dhriti Narayan and several members of her family were crossing the road when they were struck down by motorist Isaiah Peoples, 34, a former soldier said to be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

Peoples intentionally targeted Dhriti, her father Rajesh Narayan, her nine-year-old brother Prakhar and five other victims because he believed they were Muslim, police say.

The girl has been in a coma ever since the horrifying incident and remains in a critical condition.

According to a GoFundMe set up to help the family cover her medical costs, the seventh-grader has suffered a series of life-threatening injuries, including traumas to her brain.

Her father and brother were treated in the hospital for minor injuries but have since been released.

The other injured victims: Marina Reimler, 32; Soeren Reimler, 33; Ping Lu, 51; Eric Nava, 24; and Miguel Balbuena Nava, 15, were treated for a variety of injuries including broken limbs and all have since been discharged.

Peoples was unharmed in the incident. He now faces eight counts of attempted murder and is being detained at Santa Clara County Jail with no bail set.

(Source: The Times of Israel)

Santa Clara County District Attorney spokesman Sean Webby has confirmed that the FBI is investigating the incident as a hate crime.

Peoples is a former Army sharpshooter who was deployed to Iraq in 2005 and 2006. During the two tours he worked to help residents of the community rebuild their homes, his attorney Chuck Smith told the India-West.

He 'showed no remorse' after his car plowed at high speed into a group of people in a crosswalk in the Silicon Valley suburb of Sunnyvale before hitting a tree, Police Chief Phan Ngo said.

“Dhriti is a sweet little girl who is kind to everyone and always stole our hearts with her generosity,” a family friend wrote.

“While our hearts and prayer go to Dhriti for her speedy recovery but a huge medical bill and potential rehab costs are expected for her recovery.

“We, friends of Dhriti's family, who were touched by her and her family's caring and helpful nature, are actively working with family members and other friends along with appropriate organizations and organizing this fundraising campaign to support the family at this difficult time.”

The GoFundMe page set up by friends of the Narayan family has raised a staggering $577,000 in just four days.

-Sangam Sowmya