A 19-year-old facing numerous charges in connection with a wrong-way collision that left a father and daughter dead made his first court appearance Friday.
The teen arrived in court for his bail hearing on crutches and sat, leaning hunched forward.
More than a dozen family members of the deceased attended the bail hearing, holding pictures of the victims.
Jayantha Wijeratne, 49, his wife Antonette and their 16-year-old daughter Eleesha were returning from a vacation in Florida when the tragic crash occurred on Aug. 5.
Police said a GMC Envoy was travelling in the wrong direction on the QEW eastbound ramp to Highway 427 northbound when it struck a Dodge Caravan at about 2:50 a.m.
Jayantha and Eleesha were pronounced dead at the scene.
Antonette was rushed to hospital with serious injuries. She remains in a rehab clinic.
Speaking outside the courtroom Brian Wijeratne, son of Jayantha and brother to Eleesha, held a picture of his dad and sister. He said that his life will never be the same.
“Emotionally, I’m destroyed, of course and I just keep pushing on every single day,” he told CP24. “I just keep pushing and going, and going the best that I can. I’ve had support from my immediate family and my close friends.”
The driver of the GMC was rushed to hospital with serious injuries.
Sabastian Prosa of Caledon faces two counts of impaired driving causing death, one count of impaired driving causing bodily harm, along with several other charges.
Prosa’s bail was set at $100,000 and he was placed under house arrest at his father’s home in Caledon.
Prosa and his family did not speak to reporters as they left the courthouse.
Brian Wijeratne said it was a tough day.
“I had to watch the person who destroyed my life, my family, my love, walk out of that room and go back to his family,” he said.
He is set to make a second court appearance on Oct. 25.
