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The husband of a woman who was fatally struck by a vehicle while waiting for a bus in Winnipeg’s St. Vital area wants to see changes so another life isn’t lost.
Omotayo Samuel-Pepple, 49, was struck while waiting for the bus at an Abinojii Mikanah stop about 300 metres east of St. Mary’s Road on the evening of Sept. 16.
The mother of three had come to Canada from Nigeria to study at the University of Manitoba about a year before the crash, her family previously told CBC News.
The 49-year-old’s husband, Samuel Pepple, said he still thinks about his wife every day, more than seven months after the crash.
“You’ll try to tell yourself to move on. It’s not a very easy experience,” Pepple said in a video call from Nigeria on Monday.
The vehicle that struck Samuel-Pepple was travelling eastbound on Abinojii Mikanah when it veered onto the shoulder of the road at around 6:30 p.m., police said in a release at the time. The car crashed into a guard rail and flipped over, the release said.
WATCH | Site of fatal 2025 crash needs change, Winnipeggers say:
Site of fatal 2025 crash needs change, Winnipeggers say
People living near Abinojii Mikanah and St. Mary’s Road haven’t forgotten about a woman who died after being hit by a car while waiting for a bus there last year. More than seven months later, they want to see changes to make sure another life isn’t lost.
Police announced Sunday a 33-year-old man was arrested in connection to the collision. The man, who was released on an undertaking, was charged with dangerous driving causing death and driving while disqualified, police said.
Pepple said the charges will not bring his wife back.
The children “don’t want to cry in front of me, but I know” they do, he said.
“It’s a heavy burden to bear. It’s a heavy burden to carry.”
The man said he hopes his wife’s death leads to changes, though it’s “an extremely heavy price to pay” for improvements that will make the road safer.
Winnipeggers who frequently walk past the bus stop said they also would like to see safety improvements.
Lorraine Antonation said putting a bus stop there doesn’t make any sense because of the amount of traffic going through the nearby intersection every day.
“If you sit on [the bench], you’re asking to be killed. It’s crazy,” she said.
“A lot of … people, like school kids and that, go and wait for the bus there, and I think it’s dangerous.”
The City of Winnipeg says it will be reviewing all bus stop locations this spring, including the Abinojii Mikanah stop where Samuel-Pepple was struck. (Kevin Nepitabo/CBC)
Feiz Mohiuddin said the bench is simply too close to the road.
“We can move this bench to a better location or divert this route,” he said.
A City of Winnipeg spokesperson said in an email Monday the city plans to review the intersection. The city also said it will review all bus stop locations later this spring.
“If this is one of the ways society is going to be better, if this is one of the ways that people are going to be protected, well, let it be,” Pepple said.