The survivors of a deadly wrong-way crash on Highway 401 during a police chase are speaking out for the first time, asking for privacy as they mourn the loss of “three of the most precious people in our lives.”
In a statement released Sunday by the Special Investigations Unit, which is investigating the police involvement in the crash, Gokulnath Manivannan, 33, said he and his wife Ashwitha Jawahar, 27, are “at a complete loss of words to describe the agony and vacuum in our hearts knowing we can never hold our child Aditya Vivaan.”
Mr. Manivannan’s parents, Manivannan Srinivasapillai, 60, and Mahalakshmi Ananthakrishnan, 55, also died in the crash. In the statement, Mr. Manivannan said they had arrived from Chennai, India, just two days earlier to visit their three-month-old grandson for the first time.
Ms. Jawahar is still recovering from medical treatment and surgeries, the statement said, and the couple has not returned home since the fiery six-vehicle collision on April 29.
“His small toys and clothes remain spread around our home, and we have no courage in us to even enter our home, which is filled with our only son’s memories,” said Mr. Manivannan.
The SIU is still investigating, but initial information released by the civilian police watchdog suggests that Durham Police, responding to robbery call at an LCBO store in Bowmanville, Ont., began to pursue a white U-Haul van around 7:50 p.m. After a chase through Durham side streets, police reported the van entered the eastbound lanes of the 401 at Stevenson Road in Oshawa, and began to drive westbound against traffic.
According to audio collected from police dispatch radios, an OPP officer tried to issue a warning as Durham officers pursued the van the wrong way down the 401: “Just want to make sure the Durham sergeant’s aware they are driving the wrong direction. … Someone’s going to get hurt.”
The police timeline suggests the crash happened at 8:10 p.m., just minutes after the vehicles entered the 401. The van’s driver, 21, was pronounced dead at the scene and a 38-year-old van passenger was seriously injured and taken to hospital.
The statement said the family had made funeral arrangements in Markham, Ont., and Toronto this week.
“The aftermath has left an indelible mark on our lives, with profound grief. While we begin the arduous journey of planning farewells for our loved ones, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to the community who hold our family in their thoughts,” said Mr. Manivannan.
Shane Dingman