Edmonton pedestrian killed in Christmas Day crash was generous, creative young woman, says mom

A woman who was killed in a crash on Christmas Day in west Edmonton has been identified as a 22-year-old who was excited about what was to come in the new year. 

Cecelia Strachan was hit by a vehicle while crossing 95 Avenue west of 170 Street around 10:30 p.m., her mother Beryl Strachan confirmed to CTV News Edmonton on Friday. 

According to police, she died from her injuries in hospital. 

When asked how she described her daughter, Strahcan said, "How do you cram 22 years in a sentence? She was vibrant." 

Cece, as her mother called her, was also musically talented: she played the guitar and loved to sing and dance. She was also a very talented artist, whether with a pencil or makeup, Beryl Strachan said. 

"She could do anything with makeup on someone's face. It didn't matter what they wanted." 

Cece was planning to move in with a friend and get a job in the new year. She also wanted to go to cosmetology school.  

"So we'd be looking at brochures on that. We just talked about everything and anything. About life in general and how sometimes it sucked and sometimes it was good," Strachan said.  

Police woke the retired mother up around 3 a.m. on Monday to tell her about the fatal crash. 

Strachan says she spoke to Cecelia about one hour before she was killed, as Cece was leaving a Christmas supper. 

She is not believed to have been in a crosswalk when she was hit. 

Investigators said the driver is cooperating and Strachan wished him peace, as she believes it was an accident. 

"My thoughts and prayers are with the driver and his family. Because he – thank God – stayed and phoned. He's destroyed by this. He's taking it hard. So is his family, just like we are," Strachan said. 

The mom is finding her own peace in memories. As a little girl, Cece liked to say she was going to marry the family's dog, a giant Bernese-mix named Sadie. One day, when she was about five years old, Cece came out of her room with a dress on – but she wasn't the only one dressed up. 

"The dog come out of her room and she had taken a Halloween costume that we had of a bride and she dressed the damn dog in that dress and she had her with a veil on," Strachan recalled. "Cece said, 'Today's our wedding day. We're getting married, Mom.' So we think about that and we laugh about that." 

Strachan said her daughter grew up to be a generously kind and loving person – someone who had been undeterred from sharing her love freely. 

"She was very verbal in her love and her caring. She was like that with her friends as well. But she was naive in some ways, and sometimes people took advantage of that," Strachan said.

"She wore her heart on her sleeve. She always tried to help everyone out."

The family is fundraising to cover funeral costs.