Hyderabad: Hyderabad-origin Shaik Abdul Naveed, who was critically injured in a road accident on US Highway 93 in Nevada on July 20 that claimed the lives of his wife and two children, continues to battle for life in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the University of Utah Hospital. According to relatives in Hyderabad, Naveed has undergone five to six surgeries since the accident and recently developed pneumonia and is running a high fever. He remains unconscious and has not spoken since the crash.His seven-year-old daughter, Khatija, who also survived the accident, underwent surgery for fractures to both her legs and hips. “She has started speaking a little, which is giving us hope, but she continues to remain in the hospital,” a relative from Saifabad told TOI.The relative said Naveed’s maternal aunt and uncle, who travelled from Detroit soon after the accident, are currently caring for both father and daughter. “A local mosque arranged a small room within its premises for them to stay, but this is only a temporary arrangement,” the relative said. The family is now appealing to Hyderabadis and the Telugu diaspora in the United States to help arrange accommodation and basic living support near the University of Utah Hospital for at least three months, as the treatment and rehabilitation are expected to be prolonged.Amjed Ullah Khan, who has been assisting the family, said Naveed’s parents had earlier travelled to the US to be with their injured son and granddaughter, but their visas have since expired. “They have now obtained emergency visas again and will be leaving for the US in the next few days. Given their advanced age, they will be accompanied by their nephew,” he said. Meanwhile, the funeral prayers for Naveed’s wife, Nazia Salma, 17-year-old daughter Neha Nahin Shaik and 13-year-old son Omer Shaik were held at the Islamic Society of East Bay (Lowry Masjid) in Fremont, California, before they were laid to rest.The accident occurred on July 20 while the family was returning from a vacation to Yellowstone National Park via Salt Lake City, Utah. According to Naveed’s father, Shaik Abdul Sayeed, Naveed developed severe stomach pain and began vomiting during the journey, following which he asked his wife, Nazia Salma, to take over the wheel. A short while later, their vehicle was involved in a head-on collision with an oncoming vehicle on US Highway 93 near Wells in Elko County, Nevada.
