ManitobaA week after a crash killed Omotayo Samuel-Pepple as she waited at a bus stop on Abinojii Mikanah in Winnipeg, her family is devastated and left with many unanswered questions.Omotayo Samuel-Pepple died after a car crashed into her at the side of Abinojii Mikanah on Sept. 16Zubina Ahmed · CBC News · Posted: Sep 25, 2025 4:59 PM EDT | Last Updated: 9 hours agoOmotayo Samuel-Pepple, 49, died after she was hit as she waited at a bus stop near the corner of Abinojii Mikanah and St. Mary’s Road on Sept. 16. (Submitted by Mary Oloyede)A week after a crash killed Omotayo Samuel-Pepple as she waited at a bus stop on Abinojii Mikanah in Winnipeg, her family is devastated and left with many unanswered questions.”I would want to know if the driver was impaired, what actually happened. I know the police are still doing their investigation, but we are hoping there will be more information as time goes by,” said Mary Oloyede, her sister.Samuel-Pepple, 49, died after she was hit by a vehicle as she waited at a bus stop near the corner of Abinojii Mikanah and St. Mary’s Road on Sept. 16.Oloyede, who lives in Toronto, said the family was given few details about what caused the collision.They also were not informed immediately, she said — they were notified eight hours after the accident.”She was still conscious, she was still communicating” at the scene, Oloyede said, which makes her more concerned about the delay.Omotayo Samuel-Pepple was a kind, easy-going person who had an active church community in Winnipeg, her sister says. Her three children and husband live in Nigeria, but she planned to eventually bring them here. (Submitted by Mary Oloyede)”I got a call at 2:30 a.m. ET and it was from the hospital, from the doctor.… According to him, the situation was so critical and she was in the ICU,” she said.”Even if I was not there presently, at least I would have gotten a friend or, you know, a church member. I should have notified people around her so that they get to the hospital, but nobody contacted me.” Oloyede was told her sister had internal injuries, multiple leg fractures and underwent three surgeries but died on the morning of Sept. 18 due to cardiac arrest.Samuel-Pepple arrived in Canada about a year ago and was studying human resource management at the University of Manitoba, Oloyede said.She left behind three children, age 14, 17 and 21, and a husband, who live in Nigeria. She had planned to eventually bring her family to join her in Winnipeg.Back home in Nigeria, her children and husband are in shock, Oloyede said.Her mother is “not herself, deeply affected and yet to come to terms with it,” she said.Samuel-Pepple was Oloyede’s big sister and like a “little mom” to her. She played a nurturing, guiding role in her life, Oloyede said.She described her as kind and easy-going, and she had an active church community in Winnipeg.”I was privileged to have a good person as a sister. Everyone that crossed paths had good stories about her,” Oloyede said.She was happy to be in Winnipeg, her sister said.”She liked the people, she liked the place. She did like it. She fell in love with her place.”The fatal crash happened near the intersection of Abinojii Mikanah and St. Mary’s Road on Sept. 16. (Justin Fraser/CBC)Oloyede wants the driver to be held responsible for what happened and wants to know what actions the province will take.She also hopes the public will come forward with any information, especially dashcam footage.”If you could share with it, please, at least I know it’s going to give the immediate family respite to know exactly what happened,” she said. The family is arranging for her funeral to be held in Winnipeg, with hopes that her husband and children will be able to attend.In an email to CBC, Shared Health addressed concerns around the delay in notification of the family.”With respect to policy, staff in the adult emergency department do not routinely call next of kin or emergency contacts for every person who presents to the emergency department. The immediate priority of emergency department staff is to ensure that every patient receives the compassionate and timely care they need,” the statement said.Several extenuating circumstances contributed to the delay in contacting Samuel-Pepple’s family, the statement said.”Once staff were able to gather the necessary information, all efforts were made to make contact,” it said.Winnipeg police said notifying families is a priority for them.”We strive to do so in person and without delay. However, there are times when challenges arise — such as difficulties confirming the person’s identity, limited information about family members, or geographic barriers. In these cases, we may need help from outside agencies or other jurisdictions,” police said in an email.They said the investigation could take a while.”Traffic collision investigations can be complex, often requiring scene reconstruction, video analysis, and interviews with witnesses.”Family of woman fatally hit at Winnipeg bus stop speaksA week after a crash killed Omotayo Samuel-Pepple as she waited at a bus stop on Abinojii Mikanah in Winnipeg, her family is devastated and left with many unanswered questions. They want to know if the driver was impaired, what actually happened and why the police didn’t inform them sooner.ABOUT THE AUTHORZubina Ahmed is a reporter for CBC Manitoba. During her decade-long career in the Middle East and India, she covered news for sectors including politics, retail, sustainability, health care, technology, community initiatives and lifestyle. She can be reached at zubina.ahmed@cbc.ca.
Family of woman fatally hit at Winnipeg bus stop looks for answers, wants driver held accountable
