A candlelight vigil is held in Scarborough on Dec. 21, 2014, in memory of 14-year-old Amaria Diljohn, who died two days earlier when she was killed by a TTC busMichelle Siu/The Globe and Mail
Toronto's transit agency is offering to pay for the funeral of a young teen killed after being struck by one of its buses.
Amaria Diljohn, a grade nine student who lived with her mother in the city's east end, was hit by a bus Friday near her home. The operator did not stop and has been questioned by police.
The 14-year-old girl died at the scene of the collision, leaving her family and friends grieving and scrambling to raise money for a funeral. By early this week a trust account to cover burying costs had garnered about $2,000.
Late Tuesday, Toronto Transit Commission chief executive Andy Byford said that he had authorized up to $20,000 in public money to pay funeral costs because of what he called the "family and accident circumstances."
Mr. Byford, who is in England, stressed Wednesday in a text message exchange that the offer was not an admission of guilt on the part of the TTC.
"A single mom lost her only child under one of our buses just before xmas and couldn't afford the funeral," he said. "It's the right thing to do."Separately, transit agency spokesman Brad Ross said it was not the first time that the TTC had paid for the funeral of a person killed by one of their vehicles.
"It's not about guilt," he said. "Let's let the police investigation conclude. But there's little doubt that Amaria was struck and killed by a TTC bus, so paying for her funeral is the right thing to do."
According to a Facebook page created to honour the girl, she had just exited the bus in the darkness of early evening. Police said she was attempting to cross the road when the bus turned right and hit her.
The TTC has remained close-mouthed about the incident that left the girl dead. It remains unclear whether the 27-year-old driver was aware the girl had been struck.
Oliver Moore