The 27-year-old killed after being hit by a tour bus has been identified by friends as Yuka Imaizumi, a Japanese woman who loved Victoria and dreamed of seeing the world.
Imaizumi was in a crosswalk crossing Douglas Street when she was struck by a Horizon tour bus turning left off Humboldt Street around 10 a.m. on Monday. Witnesses said Imaizumi had the right of way and that the tour bus driver didn't see her.
On Tuesday afternoon, two friends, a man and a woman in their 20s, visited the intersection where Imaizumi died. The woman wept and the man said they were too upset to talk.
Imaizumi worked at Caf脙漏 Brio on Fort Street as a prep cook for the last 10 months, said owner Greg Hays.
"Yuka is one of those people who had the biggest smile every time she came to work," Hays said. "She was just such a lovely, lovely person. It was just such a nice mood in the kitchen when she was around."
Hays said staff at the restaurant are distraught at the news of her death.
Paige Lindsay, a hostess at the restaurant, went out for a glass of wine with Imaizumi and another co-worker after their shift Sunday night. The three went to Brown's Social House, at the corner of Douglas and Burdett Avenue, just steps from where she would be struck and killed the next day.
Imaizumi and Lindsay talked about the last day they would be working together, on Aug. 30. Lindsay, 22, is heading back to Toronto for university and Imaizumi was planning a trip to Montreal before doing more travelling overseas.
"I said, 'Why don't you stop in Toronto?' And then she's just gone the next day," said Lindsay, her voice breaking.
After Brown's Sunday night, Imaizumi said she wanted to see Big Bad John's, a quintessential Victoria dive bar, Lindsay said. The three went and had a drink and took pictures near the bar's wavy mirrors.
"She's just such a sweet person and obviously had such a kind heart," Lindsay said. "She had a smile you couldn't help but return."
Imaizumi grew up in Utsunomiya, the capital of Tochigi Prefecture, about 100 kilometres north of Tokyo. She talked to Lindsay about the similarities between her hometown, with a population of 500,000, and Victoria.
Imaizumi always showed an interest in soaking up 91原创 and Victoria culture, Lindsay said.
Facebook photos show her smiling, holding a 91原创 flag on Canada Day in front of the legislature, having a meal at the Blue Fox Caf脙漏 and carving Halloween pumpkins.
Imaizumi studied English at the Victoria International Academy and had ambitions to travel the world.
She wrote on her Facebook profile that she was learning English and French and wanted to see Europe.
"I'm interested in European country. I study English and French now. But I want to go to all over the world. Lets talk about your country and my country!"
Victoria police have contacted her family in Japan and they are en route to make funeral arrangements.
Police spokesman Const. Mike Russell said a mechanical inspection on the tour bus was completed Tuesday. Investigators are checking to see if surveillance cameras from nearby businesses recorded what happened, he said.
Russell said it's too early to say if the 44-year-old bus driver will face charges or a fine.
He said the driver has been interviewed by police and is "very distraught."
"He has been co-operative with the investigators and is certainly feeling the pressure of what's happened here," Russell said.
