A tragic event on Feb. 26 has a family looking for answers.
Police say Angel Cardinal was hit by a vehicle and killed in the early morning hours while walking along Highway 28, north of the Anthony Henday.
Cardinal was a 19-year-old mother of two from Edmonton. In her eulogy, she was described as "a bright beautiful soul, with a contagious smile and laughter, gentle eyes, and a giving heart."
Her aunt, Brittany Adekat-Davis, said she was an athletic teenager and she loved to sing and dance. She had no problem breaking out into song regardless of where she was or who she was with.
"She lost her mother when she was young when she was about 12; my older sister. I'm only three years older than Angel so we were really close, especially after her mother, my sister Melissa, died. We tried to stay in contact and tried to stay close, especially when she had her first baby, we got even closer."
Cardinal's life was not without hardships, losing her mother at a young age and growing up in the foster system. She also lost her father this past December.
Despite her trauma, she tried to make a positive impact on the world. Shortly after her mother passed away, Cardinal shared her story as part of a fundraiser for the Crystal Kids Foundation and helped to raise over $100,000 for the foundation.
She also had strong ties to her culture and was the youth representative for the High Level Native Friendship Centre. She enjoyed spending time with the youth group and traveling to attend meetings and gatherings on behalf of the youth in the area.
Her sudden death hit the family hard, especially her two younger sisters.
"During the service, it just became a lot more real," said Adekat-Davis. "It was very sad and it was very heartbreaking because you know there's nothing you can do to help take the pain away. All you can do is be there for them."
A vigil was held near the spot where Cardinal's body was found, with many paying their respects.
Neither the family nor the police have any idea why Cardinal was walking along the highway at such a strange time.
Police are hoping to speak with anyone who travelled in that area on the day of the collision between 4:30 a.m. and 5:30 a.m., as well as anyone that may have seen her or has any information.
Officers are also looking for the man that called 911 and a woman in a dark-coloured vehicle that stopped north of the collision scene.
"If they can come forward to the Morinville RCMP and just give us any information they can, it would help a lot and help bring our families some closure," Adekat-Davis explained.
Anyone with information can reach the RCMP detachment at 780-939-4520. To remain anonymous, people can go through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.