A Quebec coroner has issued urgent recommendations to strengthen pedestrian protection measures following the tragic 2022 death of a seven-year-old Ukrainian refugee in Montreal.
Tragic Incident Details
Seven-year-old Mariia Legenkovska was walking to school with her siblings on December 13, 2022 when a Jeep Grand Cherokee struck her at a Montreal intersection. The driver fled the scene but surrendered to police several hours later. Coroner Éric Lépine determined the death was accidental, citing the driver's failure to make a complete stop combined with blinding sun glare as primary factors.
"My analysis leads me to conclude the driver never saw the victim and the victim never saw the vehicle," Lépine wrote in his November 12 report. "The collision resulted from lack of driver vigilance due to an incomplete stop combined with poor visibility from sun glare."
Family Tragedy and Legal Consequences
Mariia and her family had recently arrived in Montreal after fleeing the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Her father, Andrii Legenkovska, was serving with Ukraine's territorial defence forces when his daughter was killed and had to travel from the front lines to bury her.
The driver involved pleaded guilty in 2024 to failing to stop after an accident and received a sentence of one year of house arrest. The coroner's report notes the driver had slowed and looked both ways but didn't come to a full stop, only realizing he'd hit something when he felt a bump under his tires.
Safety Recommendations
Coroner Lépine emphasized that physical modifications like bollards, speed bumps, and curb extensions provide the most effective pedestrian protection at intersections. He urged Montreal to continue implementing these measures wherever possible.
The report highlighted that sun glare at the intersection appeared to be a significant factor, particularly during winter months. Multiple witnesses, including police officers, described being "completely blinded" by the sun on the street where the accident occurred.
Lépine noted the intersection wasn't previously considered dangerous, but that assessment might have differed if sun-related visibility had been included in official criteria for evaluating safety measures like crossing guards.
The coroner also addressed traffic routing concerns, noting the driver had been directed through the residential area by GPS due to tunnel closures. He recommended the province announce construction plans earlier and collaborate with GPS app companies to prevent excessive traffic from being routed through neighborhood streets.
