{"id":481130,"date":"2026-02-17T17:29:27","date_gmt":"2026-02-17T17:29:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/481130\/"},"modified":"2026-02-17T17:29:27","modified_gmt":"2026-02-17T17:29:27","slug":"alberta-family-calls-for-answers-after-father-dies-daughter-injured-in-highway-crash","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/481130\/","title":{"rendered":"Alberta family calls for answers after father dies, daughter injured in highway crash"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Text<\/p>\n

Listen to this article<\/p>\n

Estimated 3 minutes<\/p>\n

The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.<\/p>\n

Laurel Cousens describes her niece, 21-year-old Victoria Fortuna, as beautiful, intelligent, funny and brave.<\/p>\n

Victoria, a student at MacEwan University in Edmonton, is currently recovering in hospital after sustaining life-altering injuries in a crash that killed her father on Feb. 8.<\/p>\n

Victoria and Paul Fortuna, 53, were struck by a car while changing a tire on the shoulder of Anthony Henday Drive near Wye Road, according to RCMP.<\/p>\n

Paul was pronounced dead by police at the scene. He was in Edmonton visiting Victoria from their hometown, Calgary.<\/p>\n

WATCH | Alberta family devastated after fatal crash:\"\"<\/p>\n

Alberta family devastated after a dad dies, daughter injured in fatal crash<\/p>\n

The lives of a Calgary family will never be the same after a dad and daughter were struck by a vehicle while changing a tire in Edmonton. As the CBC’s Nicole Healey explains, the father was killed while the daughter is recovering in the hospital with life-altering injuries.<\/p>\n

Cousens told CBC News that Victoria\u2019s mother, Colleen Fortuna, is \u201cgrieving for her beautiful baby girl,\u201d who will have to learn how to walk again after the crash.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe’re heartbroken. \u2026 Victoria did not deserve this.\u201d<\/p>\n

Victoria will need specialized mobility equipment such as wheelchairs and prosthetics, and will require accessibility modifications in her home during and after her recovery which is expected to take months, said Cousens.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s going to take a long time for her to regain her independence again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"AVictoria Fortuna’s aunt Laurel Cousens says she is looking for answers after Victoria was injured and her father Paul died in a car crash in Edmonton on Feb. 8. (Kevin Sabiston\/CBC)<\/p>\n

Cousens said Victoria, a fine arts student who likes to act, is beginning to realize she may not again be able to do the things she loves because of her injuries.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe should be enjoying her life. She should be studying. She should be writing exams. \u2026 She should be out with her friends. And instead, she’s in hospital, fighting for her life and grieving the loss of her beloved father.\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul and Victoria were close, said Cousens, and were fans of the Edmonton Oilers. Going to the team\u2019s games was one of their favourite things to do with each other.<\/p>\n

\u201cYesterday, she was like, \u2018I just want a hug from my dad,\u2019\u201d said Cousens. \u201cShe’s facing the biggest hurdle of her life, and she just wants a hug from her dad and she can’t have that.\u201d<\/p>\n

WATCH | Speeding tickets will soon cost more in Alberta:\"\"<\/p>\n

Speeding tickets will soon cost more in Alberta<\/p>\n

The provincial justice minister plans to increase speeding fines starting in mid-March. It comes as Calgary has had five fatal collisions this year. <\/p>\n

There is a GoFundMe set up for the family to cover costs associated with Victoria\u2019s rehabilitation.\u00a0<\/p>\n

On the site, the family expressed gratitude for the support they have received.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the midst of heartbreak and uncertainty, your kindness reminds us that we are not facing this alone,\u201d said Victoria\u2019s mother Colleen Fortuna.<\/p>\n

The 21-year-old driver who struck Victoria and Paul was sent to hospital with minor injuries, said RCMP. The police also said its investigation into the crash is ongoing.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know there’ll be time for anger,\u201d said Cousens. “Right now, the focus needs to be Victoria and moving forward with her. But eventually, we want answers.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Listen to this article Estimated 3 minutes The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":481131,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[194294],"tags":[49,48,23752],"class_list":["post-481130","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-edmonton","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-edmonton"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/481130","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=481130"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/481130\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/481131"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=481130"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=481130"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=481130"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}