Indian Student in US Coma After Accident, Family Secures Emergency Visa

Neelam Shinde's family, aided by government intervention, prepares to travel to California after delays in obtaining a visa to assist with her medical care.

Neelam Shinde, a 35-year-old postgraduate student at California State University, has been in a coma since a hit-and-run accident in Sacramento on February 14.
Her family, from Satara, Maharashtra, initially faced significant delays in securing a US visa, with the earliest available slot listed for 2026.
Government officials, including Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis and MP Supriya Sule, intervened to expedite the visa process, enabling her father and cousin to travel to the US on March 1.
Shinde suffered critical injuries, including fractures and a traumatic brain injury, and remains under intensive care at UC Davis Medical Center.
The driver involved in the hit-and-run, Lawrence Gallow, was arrested on February 19, but legal proceedings require the presence of a blood relative for key decisions.