Saskatoon family mourns after 23-year-old Kionna Nicotine found in Saskatoon parking lot

Police in Saskatoon have charged a 22-year-old woman with impaired driving causing death and failure to stop after a body was found in a parking lot early Saturday morning. 

Around 4:30 a.m. CST, police were called to a parking lot on the 700 block of Appleby Drive. Police said the victim, 23-year-old Kionna Nicotine, had been hit by a vehicle and died on scene. 

An autopsy is scheduled for later this week. 

Nicotine's wife, Tristy Bishop, says she was an intuitive, loving person. 

"She would instantly feel someone's sad or negative vibes and give them her full, undivided attention [and] made everyone feel accepted," Bishop said over Facebook Messenger on Saturday.  

"She's been through so many traumatic experiences but never failed to shine the room. [She was] so welcoming and filled with beautiful energy. Her heart and mind were too pure for this cruel world."

'Don't wish this pain on my worst enemy'

Tierra Nicotine said her sister was funny, selfless, a role model for younger siblings, nieces and nephews, and that she loved her mom "so much." She said the news of her sister's death was the worst pain she has ever experienced in her entire life.

"I really, really don't wish this pain on my worst enemy," she said. 

Tierra said her sister had been through so much in her life but triumphed in spite of that. She graduated, became an educational assistant, bought a car and wanted her three younger siblings to follow in her footsteps. 

"She was on her way to a better life than what this life had to offer her," she said.  

"I want people to know that she was an amazing, inspiring, outgoing, loving, caring, forgiving person."

One thing Tierra said she wants to get across is she wants people to stop drinking and driving. 

"I want people to understand drinking and driving ... and the pain it can cause families. We can prevent this from happening again."

Tierra told CBC that the person charged in her sister's death was known to her. 

"I want people to make sure they hold their siblings extra tight and always forgive because everything can change in the blink of an eye."

Netonia Bardell lives in an apartment block connected to the parking lot where the incident took place. She was awakened by the police presence on Saturday morning and watched from her apartment window as they investigated. 

"There was probably 10 police vehicles," she said, noting more officers were also present on the nearby street.

Bardell said roughly an hour after she started watching, a woman arrived on scene and was very upset. 

"She was screaming for at least half an hour," she said. "She just kept screaming and screaming." 

The Saskatoon Police Service major crimes, forensic identification services and collision analysts were called to investigate.

Anyone with information about this incident was asked to call the Saskatoon Police Service or Crime Stoppers.