'One of the best aunties in the world': Family remembers woman struck by train in southeast Edmonton
The family of a 34-year-old woman who died after being struck and killed by a train in southeast Edmonton is searching for answers about what exactly happened last week.
On Oct. 26, Kristina Prado was walking from her home in Maple Crest to the daycare she worked at when she was struck by a train at the CN railway tracks along Maple Road NW and between 12 and 8 Streets NW.
Elaine Prado, Kristina’s sister-in-law, recounted that fateful morning to CTV News Edmonton and how Kristina never made her 7:30 a.m. shift.
Her sister-in-law recalls sitting in her car as she waited for the long line of traffic stuck behind the train to move. She even took a video to send to Kristina.
“(I was) thinking of sending it to her because I thought in my mind,” Elanie said, “She’s really at work.”
Kristina was rushed to the University of Alberta Hospital and despite her doctor’s early hopes of a recovery, she passed away from her injuries the following day.
Elaine described Kristina as a loving and compassionate person who was, “one of the best aunties in the world.” Kristina took care of Elaine’s two children and aspired to return to work as a registered nurse in Canada.
“She’s the one who was with my boys after school,” Elaine added. “Technically, she is the second mom of my two boys.
“Kristina’s loss has had a big impact on our family and especially her family back home.”
The rest of Kristina’s family is in the Philippines. She had been recently granted permanent residency in Canada and had planned to finally visit her family for the first time in more than six years.
Now, Elaine says, her family will accompany Kristina’s remains back to her homeland for a funeral and burial. A GoFundMe to support the costs of her funeral has raised more than $9,100.
“That single morning, just seconds, changed everything,” Elaine said. “For so long she waited for her residency.”
While the train crossing has arms blocking vehicle traffic, Elaine hopes the railway crossing receives upgrades to ensure the sidewalk is blocked when a train passes through.
As the initial shock of the news of the incident has worn off, Elaine says her family hopes to find out what took place that fateful day.
She knows that Kristina was not wearing her earphones or listening to music distracting her from the sound of an oncoming train.
“Her AirPods are inside her backpack when we opened it,” Elaine said.
“(Kristina) is a really cautious person,” Elaine told CTV News. “We have a lot of questions.
“We are still waiting for answers.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs to start for Canucks in Game 1 vs. Oilers
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs will start in net for the Canucks as Vancouver kicks off a second-round series against the Edmonton Oilers Wednesday night.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.