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“An angel on earth,” Mother dies from injuries following crash into water-filled ditch on King George Boulevard

The 42-year-old mother is survived by her husband and two teenage kids
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Mariam Ghaly (GoFundMe Page)

After spending six days in a coma following a motor vehicle accident on King George Boulevard last week, 42-year-old Mariam Ghaly died from her injuries on Friday night in hospital.

Ghaly and her family swerved into a ditch off of King George Boulevard near 48th Avenue last weekend. Witnesses say a motorcyclist made a dangerous pass, which caused Ghaly to swerve off of the road and into a water-filled ditch.

The driver of the motorcycle fled the scene but he was detained by police later that day.

Despite multiple calls, the Surrey RCMP refused to comment on the status of the motorcyclist that was potentially involved in the accident.

Ghaly is survived by her 49-year-old husband Wagih, along with her 15-year-old daughter Marina and 13-year-old son Kyrollos.

The entire family was with her in the car when it swerved into a ditch. Bystanders helped rescue Wagih and the kids, but Mariam was stuck in the car for up to ten minutes.

The Ghaly family lives in Bellingham, WA. They drove to the St. George Coptic Orthodox Church in Surrey on Saturday and Sunday every weekend.

Her death has rocked the tight-knit Egyptian Orthodox community.

“Mariam was an angel on earth, such a sweet, loving and caring person,” said Phoebe Gerges, who has know the family for nearly 20 years. Her father is the pastor at their church.

“She was always smiling and always had her kids by her side. She was an amazing mother and an amazing wife, and her husband loved her so much.”

“Our community is quite small and everybody is very close. It’s a great loss for our community.”

Ghaly was extremely devoted to the Coptic Orthodox Church, ever since her and her husband moved to Washington in the late 1990’s. She taught ‘Sunday school’ to children every Saturday, while attending morning masses with her family every Sunday.

The family was on their way home from church when the accident occurred.

Gerges and her sister set up a GoFundMe page to help the family during this difficult time. In less than 24 hours, friends, family, and members of the tight-knit community have raised more than $48,000.

The family endured high medical expenses as they were not covered by insurance. Wagih also worked in Vancouver, WA, so he’s put his work on hold to be with his children. Donations to the GoFundMe Page will also help with the family’s funeral expenses, trauma counseling, and living costs.

The funeral for Ghaly will take place at the St. George Coptic Orthodox Church this Friday.