Vigils Held for Pedestrian Killed in a Bus Accident.
Menale Dinsea, 62, immigrated to Canada from Ethiopian in 1992. An electrical engineer, he lived and worked in the Bloor St. W/Ossington Ave. area and was known for always carrying his tools with him and for helping Ethiopian businesses and other immigrants from his country. “He wanted new immigrants to prosper,” said community activist Samuel Getachew.
Dinsea was crossing the road at an angle near the Ossington St. subway station when a TTC bus heading west on Bloor turned onto Concord Ave., and hit him. His head hit the curb and he died of his injuries in hospital.
About 50 people gathered on January 30th and held a small vigil to mourn him. Getachew said the community wanted to hold something larger to remember the 20 years Dinsea spent helping others. He planned a vigil that was held February 7th close to where the accident happened, outside the station on Concord Ave. just west of Ossington. TTC chair Karen Stntz and Ward 10 Councillor Mike Layton along with Ethiopian community members and church leaders attended
Dinsea was the 2nd pedestrian killed in an accident involving a TTC bus in January and the 3rd fatality involving a TTC vehicle in a month. An investigation is ongoing.
