More than $110,000 has been raised for the Uber driver critically injured when Perth obstetrician Rhys Bellinge allegedly crashed his Jaguar into his car while speeding and drunk in Dalkeith earlier this month.
Muhammad Usman, 25, was in a coma for days after the incident after suffering two broken legs, and a broken arm. He remains in hospital with his injuries requiring several surgeries.
Muhammad Usman is recovering in hospital following the Dalkeith crash.
His passenger, Elizabeth Pearce, 24, died.
Usman, who is a recent civil engineer graduate, is from Pakistan and has no family in Perth.
He said he was facing a long and challenging road to recovery to rebuild his life.
“As the eldest sibling in my family, a lot depended on me,” he said on a GoFundMe page which has raised more than $100,000 in less than 24 hours.
“I had a bright future ahead, with a job interview scheduled for the Monday following the accident. Tragically, this opportunity was taken away from me in an instant.
“In this time of immense hardship, I am reaching out for your support to help me and my family cover long-term family support, daily living costs, and other financial burdens.
“Additionally, I am trying to bring my parents or at least one of them to Australia to provide the emotional support I desperately need during this difficult time, as I do not have any family in Australia.”
Usman described Pearce as a pure soul. It’s understood she had just entered his car to commence her Uber journey when the crash occurred on Birdwood Parade around 10pm on February 15.
Bellinge, 45, has been charged with manslaughter and dangerous driving causing grievous bodily harm.
It’s alleged he was speeding up to 130km/h in a 50 zone, and nearly four times the limit when the crash occurred. He later told police his vision was blurry because he was crying over his recent separation from his wife.
Dashcam footage from his vehicle allegedly captured him saying “unflattering remarks” about his wife just before the crash, and in the days leading up to it.
Shortly after the crash, he allegedly attempted to blame Usman for the accident, claiming “they came out of nowhere”, despite police alleging he lost control of his car and drove onto the wrong side of the road.
Hailing from one of Perth’s richest families, Bellinge was refused bail and transferred from hospital to prison last week.