SaskatchewanThe sister of a 19-year-old woman struck and killed by a truck driver at a Regina bus stop says she hasn’t received any information from police on the investigation or been able to see her little sister’s body. Marvellous Ugochukwu’s sister says she wants justice, and to know what happened.Sister of Marvellous Ugochukwu, 19, says she wants justice after fatal Oct. 12 crashKatie Swyers · CBC News · Posted: Oct 20, 2025 7:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 2 hours agoMarvellous Ugochukwu, 19, was killed while waiting for the bus on Dewdney Avenue near Elphinstone Street on Oct. 12, when a truck hit the bus shelter where she was waiting. (Submitted by Perpetual Kanu)Marvellous Ugochukwu came to Regina as an international student, with dreams of becoming a neurosurgeon. Just before noon on Oct. 12, the 19-year-old was waiting at a bus stop — on her way to the restaurant job she was working to make money for school — when a white freight truck careened off the road, smashing through the bus shelter with enough force to topple a utility pole.Marvellous Ugochukwu was taken to hospital, where she was pronounced dead.Her only sister, Miracle Ugochukwu, said she hasn’t been able to bring herself to return to the home the two shared nearby since the crash.”I don’t think I can accept it yet,” Miracle said from her aunt’s home, where she has been staying. “We do literally everything together. So why would I believe it that easily that she’s gone?” Miracle said she has yet to see her sister’s body, despite asking to be allowed to do so. “Maybe when I see her, I can finally accept that it’s true,” she said.Miracle Ugochukwu, right, with her aunt Perpetual Kanu at Kanu’s home in Regina. Miracle has been staying with her aunt since the death of her sister, Marvellous, saying she’s been unable to return to the house they shared. (Katie Swyers/CBC)The two sisters not only shared a home together, but worked at the same restaurant. Both regularly waited for the bus at the stop where Marvellous was killed on the Thanksgiving long weekend. Miracle says the two had always been close, but became each other’s best friends after moving from Nigeria to Regina as international students. Miracle came first in 2022, choosing the University of Regina in part because extended family lived nearby. Marvellous followed a year later in 2023, at just 17, to take classes at the U of R.”She wanted to be a doctor — a neurosurgeon,” Miracle said. “She was smart.”Marvellous had always been a dedicated student, frequently ranking at the top of her class, her sister said. “That’s why we were all proud of her.”She had been “so happy” to attend school in Canada, where she hoped there would be fewer interruptions to her studies compared to Nigeria, where frequent labour strikes could upend university educations, Miracle said. Financial issues forced Marvellous to take a break from the U of R before the crash. She was working at a local restaurant, saving money for her next semester’s tuition. Before she was killed, her main goal was to go back to school, Miracle said.Marvellous, who would have turned 20 in November, was an avid K-pop fan who ‘couldn’t sing to save her life,’ said her sister. She had a list of concerts she wanted to attend next year. (Submitted by Perpetual Kanu)With her mom, dad and two younger brothers a world away, Miracle says she felt responsible for her younger sister, who frequently accused her of “pampering” her. “The only thing I did was to take care of her for two years, as her elder sister,” Miracle said. “Sometimes I blame myself, because if I sensed something like this was going to happen, she wouldn’t have left the house at that point.”Her family in Nigeria has been hit hard by the loss, Miracle said. Marvellous and her mom were very close and talked daily on the phone. The sisters’ aunt in Regina, Perpetual Kanu — who has set up a GoFundMe fundraising page to help pay for the funeral and final expenses — says she and Miracle have both been inundated with calls and media requests since the crash. Kanu said the family is asking for privacy and does not want to do further interviews. No call from policeAccording to a news release, Regina police are investigating the crash, but have not reported any charges or released any details about the truck driver involved in the fatal crash.Miracle says she learned of her sister’s death after seeing the destruction at the bus stop first-hand.Marvellous had left for work earlier in the day. It was only a 10- or 12-minute bus ride to the restaurant, but she never arrived and wasn’t answering her phone. At first, Miracle thought her sister was being stubborn and ignoring the phone calls. She decided to go look for Marvellous when she saw Dewdney Avenue was blocked off by police. The glass bus shelter that previously stood at their regular stop was gone. A truck hit the bus stop shelter Marvellous Ugochukwu was in, leaving a trail of destruction across three properties on Oct. 12. (Submitted by Bruce Howse)”I was broken at that point,” Miracle said. Fearing the worst, she approached police to ask what happened. A supervising officer showed Miracle her sister’s passport. She asked where Marvellous was. “I’m sorry. The owner of the passport is deceased,” police told her, she recalled.She wanted to see her sister’s body, but police told her Marvellous had been taken by the coroners. “I didn’t know what to do at that point. I was confused, I didn’t know what steps to take next,” Miracle said.She says the officers took her number and promised to call, but haven’t yet.”I need answers, actually,” she said. “I understand it’s a criminal case. From what they said, it’s still under investigation, but I need to know something.”CBC reached out to the Regina Police Service for comment but did not hear back before publication. Miracle said the family has contacted a Canadian lawyer for help navigating Marvellous’s death. A birthday and a vigilMiracle returned to the bus stop for the first time, one week later, on Sunday evening – it was also her twenty-first birthday. She was joined by dozens of people for a candlelight vigil. “We wanted her to rest in peace wherever she is and believe she’s happy wherever she is,” said Perfect Obioma, Marvellous’s older cousin. He grew up with Marvellous in Nigeria and helped her and Miracle make the move to Regina. He described Marvellous as someone who was always smiling and said he organized the candlelight vigil because he wanted to give people the opportunity to say their goodbyes and support Miracle. Dozens of mourners gathered around Miracle Ugochukwu and friends of Marvellous on Oct. 19, 2025. Miracle placed her hand on the concrete slab where her sister once waited for the bus, promising Marvellous she’d get her justice. (Katie Swyers/CBC)Many attendees were members of Regina’s Nigerian community, who learned of the vigil through a WhatsApp group, including Mary Makinwa. She said she wanted to come, despite not knowing Marvellous personally, because she wanted the family to know that the community supports them.Together, the crowd softly sang hymns and said prayers for the girl who Miracle said “was always there for everybody,” who loved K-Pop music, but who couldn’t “sing to save her life,” and who loved watching movies about the medical field that she dreamed of joining one day.Miracle said the evening was the first step in honouring her sister. “She wouldn’t want me to break down now. She would want me to be strong for her,” Marvellous said. “I just want justice for my sister, that’s all I need.” ABOUT THE AUTHORKatie Swyers is a reporter with CBC Saskatchewan, based in Regina. She is a 2021 Joan Donaldson Scholar and has previously worked for CBC Podcasts, CBC’s Marketplace, CBC’s network investigative unit, CBC Toronto, CBC Manitoba and as a chase producer for Canada Tonight on CBC News Network. You can reach her at katie.swyers@cbc.ca.
Woman killed in crash at bus stop came to Regina from Nigeria with dreams of becoming a surgeon
