Taiwanese woman injured in Vancouver car attack regains consciousness

Vancouver, May 30 (CNA) A Taiwanese woman injured in a vehicle-ramming incident in Vancouver, Canada, last month that killed 11 people has regained consciousness, a friend said earlier this week.

The woman, identified only as Sora, was among 32 people injured while attending a Filipino community event after a heritage festival celebrating Lapu Lapu Day, which drew about 10,000 attendees. Her age and surname have not been disclosed.

Sora, who has been in Canada on a working holiday since December, was knocked to the ground and struck in the head when a black Audi SUV drove into a crowd on April 26. She lost consciousness after suffering multiple fractures and contusions.

Yen Chi-jen (嚴啟仁), who has been by her side at Vancouver General Hospital, told CNA on Wednesday that she regained consciousness a few days ago.

Although she still can't speak, she can now nod, shake her head and communicate by blinking, Yen said.

"At the time, doctors said her condition was critical and they weren't sure if she would regain consciousness. We were all very worried," Yen said.

Another friend, Liu Yu-ting (劉宇庭), spoke fondly of Sora.

"We all recently came to Vancouver from Taiwan to attend language schools or internships. Everyone is new here, but Sora took care of us because she spent six years working in Australia and is familiar with Western culture and lifestyle," Liu said.

While she lay unconscious, everyone took turns visiting her at the hospital and spoke to her, hoping to stimulate her brain activity -- telling her she needed to wake up and keep enjoying the world, Yen said.

Meanwhile, Chiang Yi-ju (江奕儒) and Lin Chun-wei (林峻葳), who both traveled to Canada to see their friend, said they first met Sora while attending a language school in Vancouver earlier this year.

Both expressed joy at her improved condition, noting she has since been transferred to a regular ward.

Wu Ching-kuei (吳清桂), head of the Greater Vancouver Taiwanese Canadian Association, said the friendship between Sora and her friends was remarkable, as they had only known each other for a few months.

"Also in Vancouver, a young neighbor named Lucy, whom Sora had never met, took the initiative to start a GoFundMe fundraiser after learning about Sora's situation. She also handled complex tasks such as contacting car and medical insurance providers on Sora's behalf," Wu explained.

The driver, Kai-ji Adam Lo, a man in his 30s, has been charged with eight counts of second-degree murder.

The victims who died ranged in age from 5 to 65.