THE brother of a woman who was killed as she stood at a bus stop in Glasgow has spoken of his devastation following her tragic death.

On February 2, 2023, Chinenye Vera Okonkwo died following a horror crash involving two cars on St Vincent Street.

The 33-year-old, who was a student at Glasgow Caledonian University, was waiting on a bus to get to work when she was hit by a vehicle.

Less than an hour after her death, a 64-year-old woman was also struck by a car, just metres away from where Chinenye had been killed.

The woman spent weeks fighting for her life in hospital but sadly passed away on March 1.

Chinenye’s heartbroken brother Henry spoke with the Glasgow Times to highlight the effect road deaths have on the family and friends of those who have been killed.

It comes after we reported that more lives have tragically been lost on Glasgow’s roads so far this year than last year.

The Glasgow Times has reported on eight people – including two children – who have sadly passed away.

There has been a decrease in road traffic fatalities over the last three years, but this year has already seen an increase from 2022 – with more than seven months left.

Chinenye, originally from Nigeria, moved to Glasgow in 2021 and was studying for her master’s degree in public health.

She worked at a care home looking after elderly people who suffer from dementia.

Glasgow Times:

Henry revealed that his sister had dreams to become a nurse and go on to buy a house in Glasgow.

He was inspired by Chinenye to move to the UK and did so with his family in January.

But Henry, his wife and his kids, had only been in Plymouth for two weeks when he received the heartbreaking news about his sister.

He said: “It was a very devastating experience for me, I went through a lot.

“Her friends messaged me via Instagram, and they asked me if I was her brother that had just relocated to the UK.

“They didn’t want to pass the message across because of the emotional pain, so they passed it through the landlord. The landlord called me and told me how my sister was hit by a car.

“Police in Plymouth called immediately, and they came down to my hotel room where I was staying with my family.

“When they came, they asked if I was the brother, so I said ‘Yes, that's my younger sister’.

“Immediately, they reached out to police in Glasgow to confirm that they had met with me. And police in Glasgow spoke with me on the phone and passed the message.

“I cried. I was heartbroken. My kids, they were watching me cry and it was totally devastating.”

READ NEXT: More lives lost on Glasgow's roads so far this year than in total last year

Following the unexpected news, Henry explained that he felt ill and lost weight through the stress and pain.

He shared the difficulty of having to let his parents, who were in Nigeria, know that their only daughter had passed away.

“I couldn’t open my mouth to say it,” he said. “It was my wife that spoke to my younger brother and my younger brother had to tell them.

“It was devastating news to them. They had spoken with her that morning.

“I was also having a chat with her that day until 7pm and then I didn't hear from her again.

“I just miss her so much.”

Glasgow Times:

Chinenye had been helping Henry get used to life in the UK.

“I had barely been here two weeks,” Henry said. “I was not outside the hotel for six days because I didn’t know how to move around here. She was helping me.

“She would call me on the phone, tell me how to use the maps, how to make orders because we are not used to that kind of life in Africa. So, I was trying to learn that before I would go out.

“She was a very good person. She is very family oriented and very intelligent. She was the one who initiated the family WhatsApp group. She created it, she's the admin person.

“She's the only sister we have amongst a family of six children.”

Following the crash, Chinenye's kind-hearted colleagues set up a GoFundMe page to help raise cash for her family.

A total of £1056 was donated.

“The funds were sent to my mum back home in Nigeria,” Henry said.

“Lots of people came out to show concern. They had a candle procession at the university. The school really helped.

“I must commend them because some schools can tell you it's none of their business, but they were helpful and listened and did what they could in terms of supporting the family.”

Enquiries are ongoing into the incident that Chinenye lost her life in.