Afghan widow struck by vehicle after losing husband to crash

Aysha Amiri was waiting outside a pharmacy with her three young children on Monday when a driver accidentally accelerated, pinning her against a concrete wall. Her hip was severely fractured and doctors earlier feared she might not walk again. Her two-year-old son's hand was also injured in the collision.

The crash marks another devastating blow for a family that fled Afghanistan in 2021 after the Taliban took power. Her husband, Faisal, worked as a baker for the Canadian embassy in Kabul for eight years before the family emigrated. In March 2025, he was killed in a head-on collision on Range Rd. 284 just east of Calgary—a crash that also severely injured his two brothers.

With Faisal as the family's breadwinner gone, Amiri has been on an affordable housing waiting list. Relatives are now caring for her three youngest children while she recovers at Foothills Medical Centre. By Friday, she had left hospital using a walker, and her condition showed signs of improvement.

"They came from Afghanistan to Canada for safety but it's been very bad luck," said Javed Amiri, Faisal's cousin. Police say the driver remained at the scene and the investigation is ongoing; no charges have been laid yet. The family's friends and relatives are considering launching a fundraising campaign to support them.