Girl victim of a hit-and-run | A moving funeral for little Mariia

Mariia, tiny in her white coffin, was brought to her final resting place on Wednesday morning. Her family, loved ones and members of the public affected by the tragic death of the 7-year-old girl attended the mass in memory of the victim of a fatal hit-and-run.

“You were our youngest. You were a sweet little girl, ”said Andrii Legenkovskyi, father of Mariia, who was able to leave the front in Ukraine to join his family in Montreal this weekend.

The man spoke of a smiling, courageous child, a “ray of sunshine”. He also took a moment to thank Canadians for their generosity, help and support. Andrii Legenkovskyi spoke in Ukrainian, but priest Volodymyr Kushnir translated his every word into English. The father, very moved, ended his speech with a “thank you very much” in French.

The girl’s mother, Galyna Legenkovska, also wrote a short message which the priest read to the 60-odd people gathered at the Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral of Saint Sophia. “I hope the soul of my little Mariia will go to God and that together they will protect all children from the horrors of war and the loss of loved ones,” she said. Galyna Legenkovska and her three children fled the war in Ukraine last July. They found refuge in Montreal, while the father of the family had to stay to fight the Russian invasion.

Songs and prayers

The ceremony lasted almost two hours and took place in liturgical chants. The family took their places at the front of the church, very close to Mariia. Bouquets of colorful flowers, funeral wreaths and stuffed animals surrounded the casket. The Legenkovskyi have no family in Quebec, but members of the Ukrainian community sat near them to comfort them.

Towards the end of the mass, the public was invited to approach the open coffin and pray for the little girl crowned with white flowers. Some people took a moment to offer their condolences to the family standing nearby.

Andrii Legenkovskyi then walked over to his daughter and whispered a few words in her ear. Anna and Paul, sister and brother, in turn walked towards Mariia and they each burst into tears. Galyna Legenkovska brought up the rear. She took her daughter’s hands for the last time and kissed them just before the coffin was closed. Sobs were heard in the church.

Mariia Legenkovska was hit by a driver who never stopped on December 13, as she was walking to her school in the Centre-Sud district of Montreal. Juan Manuel Becerra Garcia, whom investigators suspect was driving the car, went to a police station on the South Shore of Montreal later in the afternoon. He is charged with a hit-and-run causing death.

Quebec shaken

Dozens of people affected by the child’s death attended the funeral. Anna Maria Feirrera appeared at the mass in memory of the little victim on Tuesday evening and at the funeral on Wednesday morning. The woman did not know Mariia, but her own son survived a serious accident when he was 8 years old. “I see myself when it happened to us,” said the woman before entering the church.

Pierre Trottier was also touched by the death of the little girl. He also made a donation to the family through one of the crowdfunding campaigns. “It’s as if it was a member of my family who died in absolutely incredible conditions. I haven’t swallowed it yet and I never will. It’s like she’s my daughter and that’s why I’m coming here today,” he said before attending the funeral.

The whole of Quebec was shaken by the hit-and-run that cost Mariia her life. In the hours that followed, crowdfunding campaigns were set up and more than $150,000 was raised to support the Legenskovyi.