Funeral for Ukrainian girl killed in hit and run will be held today in Montreal

Dec 21, 2022 | 1:05 AM

MONTREAL — The funeral service for seven-year-old Ukrainian refugee Mariia Legenkovska will be held today in Montreal. 

Legenkovska, whose family moved to Montreal this year to flee the Russian invasion, was killed while walking to school with her brother and sister on Dec. 13 by a driver who didn’t stop to assist her.

Her funeral service will take place at Saint Sophie Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral in the city’s Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie borough at 10 a.m.

Rev. Volodymyr Kouchnir, the head priest at the church, says the Alfred Dallaire funeral complex offered to cover the costs of the services and the Mount Royal Cemetery offered to pay for the girl’s burial plot.

Legenkovska’s father is a fighter with Ukraine’s territorial defence forces and travelled to Montreal for his daughter’s funeral.

Juan Manuel Becerra Garcia, 45, fled the scene of the crash but turned himself in later that day. He is charged with one count of failing to stop after an accident resulting in death.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 21, 2022. 

This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Meta and Canadian Press News Fellowship.

The Canadian Press