Caregiver killed in Vaughan hit-and-run lay undiscovered for days. Loved ones say a sidewalk could have saved her - Toronto Star

The Star retraced Song Qian's last steps, and found the footpath along the road is uneven and lined with collision debris.

Song Qian, who was killed in a hit and run in Vaughan in early October, is remembered as a devoted mother and live-in caregiver.

On a cool, cloudy evening in early October, caregiver Song Qian stepped off a bus in Vaughan and into the darkness, using her phone flashlight to see the ground before her as her other hand pulled her suitcase along.

Qian, 60, walked northbound along the narrow shoulder of Pine Valley Drive, near Major Mackenzie Drive, as she headed to work, traversing uneven and gravelly footing lined by prickly shoulder-high weeds. Cars whizzed past her on a street with no sidewalk and poor lighting, despite the bus stop close by.

Qian’s steps after 8 p.m. on Oct. 4 — shown in security footage later released by police — would be her last.

Her body was found two days later by a passerby who spotted a black suitcase off the side of Pine Valley Drive, and upon taking a closer look, found Qian lying dead in the tall grass. Investigators say she was struck by the driver of a vehicle who then sped off. Police later charged a 41-year-old Vaughan man in her death. 

Now, her devastated daughter and close friend are asking why the city hasn’t done more to protect pedestrians along the road, which bears a yellow sign warning drivers about people getting off the bus.

“If there was a sidewalk, I’m sure it would not have happened,” said Xenia Xiang, who is grieving her vivacious best friend and wants municipal action in the wake of her death.

“I had no idea it was so dangerous. There should be better lighting.”

The area Qian was found in is “an isolated area and not well-lit,” York police Const. Kevin Nebrija told reporters shortly after her body was discovered. He added that the area “was a bit off the roadway, so someone driving by would not see it right away unless they got really close.”

The Star retraced Qian’s steps along the road, stepping off a bus at the intersection with Major Mackenzie Road and walking down Pine Valley. Collision debris and garbage line the well-trodden footpath, and the ground becomes bumpier and bumpier walking northbound.

Qian was last seen on the night of Oct. 4 in security footage released by police.

Joseph Petrungaro, director of roads and traffic operations for the Regional Municipality of York transit authority, said complaints are taken seriously and extended condolences to Qian’s family but declined to comment further on their calls to action. 

Vaughan deputy mayor Linda Jackson said she has reached out to York Region officials about making the street safer but would not say what specific work was planned.

“Something more needs to be done to ensure the safety of disadvantaged people who are not driving,” Xiang said, adding her family has found some solace in a suspect arrest being made in her case.

“Although she can never be brought back.”

Zengzhe Wang, the victim’s 32-year-old daughter, kept her tired, puffy eyes cast downwards in an interview. But she lit up speaking about memories of her mother, who had a graceful singing voice and an easy laugh.

Before Qian moved north of Toronto in 2023, she defied cultural norms as a doting single mother in China. She once learned to mimic her daughter’s handwriting to complete the girl’s homework, so her only child could relax.

She later paid for Wang’s master’s degree in industrial design and dreamed of her daughter joining her in Canada.

“She wanted to have a better foundation here first,” Wang said. “Now, it’s never going to happen.”

Pine Valley Drive is lined by prickly shoulder-high weeds, and a yellow sign warns drivers about people getting off the bus.

Xiang, who was instantly enamoured with Qian after meeting her at church, remembers the victim as a master of the accordion and hand-pulling noodles, as well as the most gracious host she has ever known.

“When she was tutoring middle school students, they’d come in and immediately ask, ‘What’s for dinner?’” Xiang recalled with a laugh. “It was like coming home.”

Qian pulled Xiang out of her comfort zone, whisking her away on weekend trips to see tulips blossoming in Ottawa and nagging her to cook delicious, balanced meals for herself.

“I’ve been in Canada for more than 20 years, but I never felt like I had a family until she was here,” Xiang said. “You don’t see that a lot with women of her age — she was like a teenager, wanting you to explore new things.”

It pains Xiang to know that Qian will never fulfil her ever-growing bucket list of life goals, including a road trip across the United States and taking up creative writing. 

“She was not some random pedestrian walking on the side of the road,” Xiang said. “She was a force of nature.”

Elissa Mendes is a staff reporter with the Toronto Star. Reach her via email: emendes@thestar.ca