A Quebec coroner has issued urgent calls for enhanced pedestrian safety measures following the tragic 2022 death of seven-year-old Mariia Legenkovska, a Ukrainian refugee who had recently arrived in Montreal with her family to escape the Russian invasion.
A Preventable Tragedy
The heartbreaking incident occurred on December 13, 2022, when Mariia was walking to school with her brother and sister. According to the coroner's report, a driver struck the young girl and failed to stop to provide assistance. The fatal collision claimed the life of the child who had sought safety in Canada only to face tragedy on Montreal's streets.
Mariia's funeral took place on December 21, 2022, at a Montreal church, where pallbearers carried the small casket containing the seven-year-old who had barely begun her new life in Canada. The image of her funeral procession captured by Graham Hughes for The Canadian Press became a somber reminder of the human cost of inadequate pedestrian infrastructure.
Systemic Safety Failures
The coroner's investigation revealed multiple concerning factors that contributed to the tragedy. The driver's failure to stop and render aid following the collision highlighted what the coroner described as a broader pattern of disregard for pedestrian safety in urban areas.
Montreal, like many Canadian cities, has struggled with balancing vehicle traffic flow and pedestrian protection. The coroner noted that the location where Mariia was struck lacked sufficient safety measures that might have prevented the fatal incident or reduced its severity.
Call for Immediate Action
The coroner's recommendations focus on implementing concrete measures to protect vulnerable road users, particularly children walking to school. These include enhanced crossing protections, reduced speed limits in school zones, improved driver education, and stricter enforcement of traffic laws.
The timing of these recommendations coincides with growing concerns about pedestrian safety across Quebec, where similar incidents have prompted calls for comprehensive road safety reforms. The coroner emphasized that Mariia's death represents not just an individual tragedy but a systemic failure requiring immediate governmental response.
As Montreal and other Quebec municipalities consider these recommendations, Mariia's family continues to mourn the loss of a child who symbolized both the hope of refugees seeking safety in Canada and the urgent need for safer communities for all pedestrians.
