Entered Canada with mother two months ago... Lost life in hit-and-run accident
Many Canadian citizens brought memorial bouquets to accident site
Father currently on war duty against Russia in Ukraine

A 7-year-old girl who fled the war in Ukraine and came to Canada lost her life in a hit-and-run accident on her way to school. The photo is not related to the specific content of the article. Photo by Pixabay

[Asia Economy Reporter Bang Je-il] As a 7-year-old girl who fled the war in Ukraine and came to Canada lost her life in a hit-and-run accident on her way to school, condolences have been pouring in across Canada.

According to local media including CBC on the 14th (local time), Maria Rezenkovska, an elementary school student who was on her way to school with her family around 8:30 a.m. the previous day on a road in downtown Montreal, Quebec, was hit by a speeding vehicle, seriously injured, and taken to the hospital but died. Maria was a refugee who arrived from Ukraine two months ago with her mother and two other siblings, settled in Montreal, and enrolled in elementary school.

Maria’s father remains in Ukraine, carrying out war duties against Russia, which has made the tragedy even more heartbreaking, the broadcast reported. The driver, Juan Manuel Bechera Garcia (45), who fled the scene immediately after the accident, voluntarily turned himself in to the police that afternoon, was arrested, and appeared in court.

The accident site was a school zone in the Ville-Marie district where the maximum speed limit was 30 km/h, but Garcia reportedly exceeded this speed during the morning rush hour commute. Upon learning of this story, condolences have continued not only from the Ukrainian community in Canada but also nationwide, including Quebec.

That night, about 40 members of the Ukrainian community held a memorial gathering, and citizens brought bouquets of flowers to the accident site. Local media reported that many donations were collected through an online fundraising page for the bereaved family.

Michael Shwechi, head of the Quebec branch of the Canada-Ukraine Association, said, "A child who tried to settle here safely with her mother and start a new life in Montreal..." and was at a loss for words. He added, "Moreover, it feels like a terrible nightmare that no one should have to endure, especially with Christmas approaching."

Father Volodymyr Kuchynir of the local Ukrainian Orthodox Church expressed his sorrow, saying, "I have to conduct the funeral soon, but honestly, I don’t know if I can lead it properly."

Maria’s father in Ukraine, upon hearing the news from her mother, was reported to be in shock, saying, "It can’t be true. I believe the child is still alive." He also expressed grief, saying, "While fighting the war in my homeland for the freedom of children, I sent my family to safe Canada, but this happened."

Fran?ois Legault, Premier of Quebec, expressed condolences in a press conference that morning, saying, "It is a terrible tragedy that someone who came from Ukraine to escape the war ends their life like this."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.