Blade Crow Pantherbone’s father, Morris Crow, said his son was a hard-working and well-loved individual.
On Sunday night, family and friends came together at the scene where he was struck to pay tribute and remember him.
They prayed, lit candles, sang, and presented offerings to mourn the loss.
“Everybody here knows him one way or another,” said his father.
“He was just such a loving guy.”
Pantherbone was born in and raised in Calgary where he spent the majority of his life.
He recently moved back to the city from Vancouver to create a better future for himself. Crow Pantherbone also wanted to reconnect with his family.
Girlfriend, infant in hospital
Last Thursday (Feb. 18), while waiting to cross the intersection at Macleod Trail and Glenmore Trail, Pantherbone, his girlfriend Aliyah Ramirez-Bernard and her one-year-old daughter were struck by a vehicle.
According to police, a GMC Terrain was travelling southbound on Macleod Trail when the driver attempted to turn right and enter the westbound lanes of Glenmore Trail.
The two adults and the child, who was strapped into the stroller, were standing on the concrete island as they waited to cross the road and continue south, police said.
Investigators said the driver of the Terrain, a 28-year-old man, failed to navigate the turn and struck the pedestrians. He then drove over two additional concrete islands and hit a snowbank before coming to a stop.
The driver attempted to flee the scene on foot but was arrested by police a short time later.
Pantherbone was pronounced dead on scene, and Ramirez-Bernard and her daughter were taken to hospital.
Ramirez-Bernard suffered broken legs, a broken pelvis, and a cracked skull. Her daughter is scheduled to have surgery on Monday (Feb 22.)
A GoFundMe page was set up to help pay for the funeral cost. On it, Caitlyn Pantherbone wrote that Blade loved to spend time with his family and enjoyed time with his Dad out in the bush.
“Blade loved them so much and took Baby Ember as his own. They were his world,” she wrote.