Grieving Montreal father visits site of daughter's death every day for weeks to push for answers
Every day, for nearly a month, Cuma Caya has been sitting at a Saint-Michel street corner in a memorial for his late daughter, who was struck and killed by a truck there in June.
"I just want someone responsible for the investigation to come and see me here," he said on Tuesday. A picture of his daughter Dilan is taped to the city pole at the corner of 22nd Ave. and Belaire St., where the accident occurred weeks before.
On June 22, at around 4:30 p.m., police received a 911 call reporting a young woman had been crossing the street when a large truck turned and hit her. At the age of 22, she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police are still investigating the crash weeks later and have not laid any charges against the driver, a 54-year-old man.
Reached by CTV News on Tuesday, Montreal police did not provide an update on the investigation, which is still ongoing.
Caya is desperate to speak to police, who he says have not reached out to him. He says he's still not sure of just what happened that day.
"Come and explain it to me," he said. "How does it work? How does a woman die in the street?"
CTV asked police whether anyone had spoken to Caya. A spokesperson responded to refuse the request, again citing the ongoing investigation.
However, they did say that it's standard practice to communicate with victims' close family during and after the investigation.
"Montreal police … would like to express its most sincere condolences to the family and loved ones of Ms. Dilan Caya," wrote spokesperson Anik de Repentigny.
Caya says his daughter was studying healthcare and was preparing to attend university next year.
LONG-STANDING SAFETY CONCERNS
Residents have, for months, raised safety concerns about the intersection.
"I heard people in the cars screaming because they just saw what happened. I heard police, I saw police coming," said Adrienne Desrosiers. Her four-year-old son attends daycare steps away from the crash site.
"I live close by and have made multiple complaints to the city before that accident happened," she told CTV. "Traffic was too busy for a small street like that."
In the year and a half leading up to the accident, the borough says it received several requests from residents to make the area safer for pedestrians.
Major road work on Pie-IX, just north of where Dilan was struck, has redirected traffic. The borough says it made several adjustments to nearby neighbourhood roads to limit heavy traffic through the area, especially large trucks.
Only local delivery trucks are allowed to turn in from Pie-IX, the speed limit is just 30 km/h, and there are new speed bumps installed to slow traffic; Those are just a few of a long list of safety measures introduced by the borough since construction began.
Even still, Desrosiers says she routinely sees large trucks rumbling through her neighbourhood.
"I see them every day -- at least 20 trucks that are not supposed to be on the streets," she said.
Caya says his vigil should also raise awareness about road safety, and that he'll continue to visit the site each day until he's satisfied with the investigation. His daughter was 22 years old when she died, and he says he's prepared to spend 22 years waiting for answers.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Poilievre unrepentant over calling Trudeau 'wacko' as his MPs say Speaker should resign
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says he does not regret calling Prime Minister Justin Trudeau 'wacko,' and now his MPs are renewing calls for the House of Commons Speaker to resign, this time over ordering the Official Opposition leader to leave the chamber.
Is it cold, flu or norovirus? Symptoms explained
The highly contagious norovirus is spreading across Canada, with some symptoms overlapping with other viruses. CTVNews.ca spoke with a health expert to find out how you can tell you have norovirus, the most common form of stomach flu, and what to do if you have it.
Freeland leaves capital gains tax change out of coming budget implementation bill, here's why
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland will be tabling yet another omnibus bill to pass a sweeping range of measures promised in her April 16 federal budget, though left out of the legislation will be the government's proposed capital gains tax change.
Anger can harm your blood vessel function, study shows
Stress and anger can have a negative impact on cardiovascular health, studies have shown. New research points to just how the mechanism may work.
Ontario's police watchdog continues probe of high-speed pursuit involving fatal crash
The investigation continues into a collision that killed two grandparents and their infant grandchild during a high-speed police chase on the wrong way of Highway 401 east of Toronto.
Ontario woman surprised after 20-year-old fines suddenly tank credit score
An Ontario woman says that she was shocked when fines from 20 years ago suddenly tanked her credit score last week, but the situation may not be as unusual as it seems, according to at least one debt expert.
Search continues for 'armed man' in Dartmouth, N.S.
Police say they continue to search for an armed man who allegedly threatened people in Dartmouth, N.S.
Swarm of bees delays Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Los Angeles game in Arizona. An 'MVP' beekeeper came to the rescue
Major League Baseball fans had an unexpected buzz on Tuesday after a swarm of bees delayed the Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Los Angeles Dodgers game for around two hours.
Newfoundland fisherman says police broke his leg during protest that delayed budget
Richard Martin is spending this year's fishing season on land after he says a Royal Newfoundland Constabulary officer broke his left leg in three places during a protest last month that shut down the provincial legislature.