Father of 4-year-old girl fatally struck by train in Mississauga, Ont. speaks out

'Chased a butterfly to that spot': Father The grieving family of four-year-old Mitchell Nwabuoku described her as a 'little angel' on the day her body was laid to rest.

The father of a four-year-old girl who was struck and killed by a GO train in Mississauga, Ont. last week is speaking out for the first time since the accident.

Emmanuel Nwabuoku told CP24 on Tuesday his daughter, Mitchell, was fatally struck by a train last week while she out playing with her siblings.

"Mitchell is an angel, she talks like an angel. Mitchell acts like an angel," Nwabuoku said.

He said his daughter left the apartment with her older siblings to go down to get ice cream at the park.

"Just only 15 minutes later, we received the call that she can no longer breathe and we rushed out immediately," Nwabuoku said.

At around 7:40 p.m., emergency responders were called to the area of Dundas Street and Cawthra Road for reports of a child who was struck by a GO train.

Emmanuel says his children were chasing a butterfly before his youngest daughter walked through a path and onto the train tracks where she was struck by an incoming train.

"They said they followed a butterfly. They were playing in the park and they chased the butterfly to that spot. I couldn't talk, I didn't hear any other thing. Only for me to see my daughter lifeless on the floor," he said.

Shortly before 9 p.m., Peel police confirmed Mitchell was pronounced dead at the scene.

Metrolinx, which operates the GO train service, said about 300 passengers were on board the train when the child was struck.

A witness, who owns a nearby garage, told CP24 the day after the accident he was working when he heard a train honking its horn and a loud screech of a railway brake.

"When I came out of my garage, I see the train stopped. This has never happened before," Muhammad Tayyab said.

"Three kids were screaming and crying very loudly. I got shocked. I ran there... I see the body, there was one kid on the side…They were wounded very badly."

Residents in the area spoke to CP24 after the incident and said the lack of barriers to the train tracks is a known issue and that it's not uncommon to see people crossing the tracks.

Mitchell was born in 2017 in Dallas, Texas, and her family moved to Canada in 2018.

Nwabuoku said she was a happy child who brought joy to everyone's lives.

"Mitchell is a lively person. Mitchell is a cheerful person. Mitchell has touched lives... Mitchell cannot sleep without giving everybody a hug. Mitchell cannot do anything without giving daddy a kiss. Because Mitchell is daddy's princess. Mitchell is everything to us," he said.

Nwabuoku is not only dealing with the loss of his child but the loss of his mother who died two days prior to Mitchell's death. He said that is why his family was staying with his brothers as they planned his mother’s funeral arrangements.

He added he has no words to explain the pain of losing his child but thanked everyone for their love and support.

"What can I say…I know what it means to lose a child. For those weeping for us, God will comfort every one of us."

The funeral for Mitchell was held in Mississauga at the Turner & Porter funeral home Tuesday morning.

A spokesperson for Metrolinx said on Tuesday that an investigation is ongoing and that their "thoughts remain with the family and loved ones of the young child."

With files from CP24’s Joshua Freeman and CTV News Toronto’s Phil Tsekouras