Calgary's Congolese community rallying around woman after husband, daughter killed in crash
CBC
A member of Calgary's Congolese community says it is rallying around a woman whose daughter and husband were killed in a multi-vehicle crash Wednesday night.
Pierre Mulamba, 37, was supposed to pick his son up from school that evening — and his seven-year-old daughter, Ninelle Tshamwena, insisted on coming with her father and 11-year-old sister for the drive, according to Mathieu Kalenga.
An acquaintance of the victims, Kalenga says he knew them through the Congolese community, and visited the mother on Friday.
"[Tshamwena] said, 'No, no, Daddy, I want to go with you,'" he said. "And that's how the girl joined the father."
Mulamba was to celebrate his birthday the next day, according to Kalenga.
But around 5:20 p.m., Mulamba and Tshamwena were killed when their sedan was rear-ended by a three-quarter ton pickup truck travelling northbound on Macleod Trail.
The impact caused the sedan to spin around and cross into the southbound lanes, where a half-ton truck driving southbound on the road struck the sedan again.
"The car went to the other side, in the other lane — completely opposite side of the road," Kalenga said.
Mulamba's oldest daughter was seriously injured in the accident, but survived. Police said that she is now back at home.
Kalenga said the mother is inconsolable. And most of her family is in the Congo.
"The [Calgary Congolese] community is all around her," Kalenga siad.
"It's very, very, very, very tough. We are trying to do our best, so that she's not going to feel very lonely."
The community is not alone in trying to support the family.
Two GoFundMe campaigns have been set up online, including one by the École de La Source, the school where Tshamwena and her injured sister were enrolled.
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