Fundraisers set up after student from India was killed and another was injured in accident

Two fundraisers have been set up for Wichita residents from India after one died and the other was critically injured in a traffic accident.

Varun Aithagoni, who was driving a 2012 Nissan Sentra when the accident happened Sunday night near Cheney Reservoir, remains hospitalized in critical condition, one of the GoFundMe pages says. He broke his ribs and collar bone and has brain bleeding.

A fundraiser says the 22-year-old “battles for his life.”

Pratiksha Kunwar, who was in the passenger seat, was killed in the accdent. The 22-year-old was a dedicated master’s degree student who “took on the incredible responsibility of caring for her two younger siblings.” She was attending Wichita State University.

“Now, as the family grieves the loss of their beloved Pratiksha, they face an unimaginable challenge,” a fundraiser says. “Pratiksha’s father is not only dealing with the emotional pain of losing his daughter but also the financial burden of supporting the family and paying for Pratiksha’s education loans.”

Any donations to her fund will help cover her education loans and “traveling charges to India.”

The GoFundMe was set up by the Wichita State University Indian Student Association. ISA president Purva Todmal said the family has requested privacy.

The person who set up Aithagoni’s GoFundMe did not respond to a request to comment.

Two others in the back seat of the car Aithagoni drove were treated and released at the scene. The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office said all they are all foreign exchange students with Wichita addresses. A WSU spokesperson said Kunwar was attending grad school there and that Aithagoni was not a student there.

The accident happened around 7:04 p.m. Sunday at 21st North and 391st West when Aithagoni, who was headed east on 21st, ran a stop sign and was hit by an SUV heading north on 391st, the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office said.

The 36-year-old man and two boys, ages 2 and 3, in the 1999 Chevrolet Tahoe were taken to the hospital with minor injuries.

Aithagoni and Kunwar were also taken to a hospital where Kunwar was pronounced dead at 8:10 p.m.

“Varun’s family’s resources are limited, and the financial burden of his medical treatment is overwhelming,” his fundraiser says. “As he battles for his life, we want to ensure that his family can focus on his recovery without the added stress of mounting medical bills.”

Aithagoni’s GoFundMe has just over $34,000 of the $300,000 goal as of Thursday morning. At the same time, Kunwar’s was over $25,500 with a goal of $30,000.

Kunwar’s fundraiser can be found at rb.gy/hlmbm. Aithagoni’s can be found at tinyurl.com/2bh8exah.

This story was originally published October 19, 2023 at 12:24 PM.