On Oct. 27, Aloka Akot was crossing 17 Avenue SE northbound when a dark-colored sedan traveling west on the same road approached the intersection at 44 Street SE and struck the woman just before 8 p.m.
The 27-year-old was rushed to Foothills Medical Center, where her family made the difficult decision to remove her from life support a day later.
She is remembered as beautiful, kind-hearted and strong.
“Aloka always said she wanted to be a doctor … a social worker,” said Joseph Wol, Aloka’s father. “Aloka liked to help people.”
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Calgary police say the vehicle that hit her did not stay at the scene. Officers have seized a car they believe was involved in the incident, but are still searching for the driver.
“It’s still painful because we still don’t know,” Wol said.
The family held a memorial for Aloka on Saturday, but say they cannot move forward while so many questions remain unanswered.
Family members are now pleading for the driver, or anyone with information about the incident, to come forward.
“Any friends, brothers and sisters who talk to him, it’s better to show yourself because Aloka is innocent,” Wol said. “I hope this person comes out and shows themselves because it’s an accident. We can calm down a little if we know who did it.”
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Gar Gar, a local community leader, knows Aloka through social events and says her death has left the local Sudanese community in mourning.
According to Gar, Calgary’s Sudanese community has seen an increase in overdose deaths in recent years, and deaths like Aloka’s add to the pain.
“The community goes as a family [to grieve] but then you start seeing others cry because it brings back another memory,” Gar explained. “We’re not just going to bury one child, we’re going to visit almost 100 children who are in that cemetery.”
Gar says answers are needed to help those grieving move forward.
“The best thing that person can do is ease the pain for the community and come forward,” Gar said. “Just to give us that closure and know that we will put Aloka to rest.”
Anyone with information about the hit-and-run is asked to contact CPS at 403-266-1234. Anonymous tips can be submitted through Crime Stoppers.
A gofundme has been created to help with funeral costs.
– With files from Meghan Cobb, Global News
© 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
