March 14th, 2026, was a regular day for Kuldeep Raj. It was 2:30 a.m. and he was driving home on the Anthony Henday from his casino job. A vehicle traveling west in the east bound lane crashed into his.
The 27-year-old woman driving the vehicle going the wrong way died on scene. Police are still investigating the cause of the crash.
Raj suffered severe injuries. In the past two weeks he’s had multiple surgeries and he can’t move the right side of his body. He also has a brain injury. While his wife has been by his side, his two daughters haven’t seen him since before the crash.
“Sometimes he is able to recognize his wife, sometimes not,” family friend Swati Kathuria said.
“They got a call, they were confused what happened. They were not able to believe what happened, and were told that (Raj) was undergoing surgery,” Raj’s brother Pawan Kumar said through a translator.
“When they got to the hospital, they were crying and asking for updates every 30 minutes.”
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Raj’s friends have been supporting his family, helping them get through this difficult time.
“We as friends have (known) him since college. All are here to support him and his family. Obviously, he can’t see the support right now, but his wife needs it more,” Kathuria said.
Raj was working multiple jobs to support his family. Unfortunately, he is not able to get insurance for disability through work. Kathuria has set up a GoFundMe page to help the family pay their bills and take off some financial pressure.
“We have seen a lot of support from the Edmonton people even though they are not connected to them,” Kathuria said.
“He has two small daughters, a wife to take care of them at home and doesn’t have any kind of other financial support.”
As Raj is still recovering, the family is trying to navigate what life will look like now.
“It might take one or two years; we don’t know how long it will take for Raj to get back on his feet,” Kathuria said.
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