More than four months after a devastating multi-vehicle crash claimed the life of a happy and spirited little girl, her grieving family is now trying to process the allegations that the driver involved was impaired.
Five-year-old Lux Peyton Gomez was headed to the beach on a warm August 4th morning with her parents and two brothers when the family van was struck by another vehicle.
The collision occurred near Davis Drive and Keele Street. York Regional Police say a silver Volvo first collided with a Ford Taurus which careened into a Cheverolet Cobalt.
The Cobalt then collided head-on with the Honda Civic carrying Gomez and her family.
In total, nine people were involved in the four-vehicle crash.
Gomez’s parents, Abby and Mark, were both severely injured and required surgery. Both spent time in the intensive care unit at a local hospital.
Her 11-year-old and three-year-old brothers were also taken to hospital for treatment.
Gomez suffered the most severe injuries and died in hospital a few days later.
“I think at that moment she was already brain dead, but we didn’t know it at the time because we were still hoping she was going to be okay,” her aunt, Tess Cameron, told CTV News Toronto.
Cameron she can still vividly remember being jolted awake by a phone call from the hospital.
“I thought I was dreaming. I actually hung up the phone,” she said. “She called me back and said, ‘You have to come here because something terrible has happened.’”
Gomez was a bright light in the family and loved to entertain, Cameron said.
“She loves to sing. She’s a star,” Cameron explained. “She loves to sing and dance, play piano.”
Cameron said they had to wait some time before breaking the news to Gomez’s parents.
“They broke it to Abby first because they thought Abby could take it more than Mark because Mark was badly injured,” she said.
After a lengthy investigation and the results of a toxicology report, police announced charges in the case on Tuesday.
Kamau Davis-Locke, a 23-year-old resident of Newmarket, is facing a dozen charges including impaired driving causing death, impaired driving causing bodily harm, and dangerous operation of a motor-vehicle causing death.
He has been released on bail and is scheduled to make his next court appearance in Newmarket on Jan. 24.
Cameron said the family is struggling to come to terms with the development.
“It’s mixed feelings,” she said. “So we’re very, very upset.”
Police say the 23-year-old driver of the Volvo and his 20-year-old passenger were also hospitalized following the crash.
The driver of the Taurus, a 62-year-old woman, was not injured and the driver of the Cobalt sustained only minor injuries.
Anyone with information about the deadly crash is asked to contact York Regional Police.
