Ontario family releases statement on infant son, grandparents killed in wrong-way Highway 401 crash
An Ontario family says they are “reeling” in “profound grief" after losing their three-month-old son and parents visiting from India in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last Monday.
In a statement released on behalf of the family by the Special Investigations Unit on Sunday, the parents wrote that they lost "three of the most precious people" in their lives.
“The aftermath has left an indelible mark on our lives, with profound grief,” Gokulnath Manivannan and Ashwitha Jawahar wrote.
They said their son's little toys and clothes are still spread around their house. “We have no courage in us to even enter our home which is filled with our only son’s memories,” Manivannan wrote.
“We 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, who gave us so many precious memories in such a short time."
Just two days before the crash, Manivannan said his father, Mr. Manivannan Srinivasapillai, and mother, Mrs. Mahalakshmi Ananthakrishnan, travelled from Chennai, India to Toronto for the sole purpose of spending time with their grandson.
On Monday, the family was travelling in a Nissan Sentra on the eastbound lanes of Highway 401 in Whitby when Durham Regional Police were involved in a high-speed chase of a suspect fleeing west on the eastbound lanes.
The chase ultimately resulted in the life-changing crash.
Manivannan wrote his father, who had recently retired at 60 years old, and mother, who was 55, were “overjoyed” with the opportunity to spend time with their grandson and step into the “year of grandparents fun.”
Manivannan and Jawahar were also in the Sentra during the collision and taken to hospital for treatment. In the statement on Sunday, Manivannan said his wife has suffered surgeries and repeated flashbacks of the trauma while the pain of his own injuries pales as he grapples with the shock of losing his parents and only son in the same night.
“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. Amidst these challenging circumstances, we kindly ask for the space to heal in private.”
A cremation will take place for the grandparents on Monday at 11 a.m. followed by the cremation of the three-month-old on Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. at Forest Lawn Crematorium.
Visitation services will take place on Wednesday morning from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Chapel Ridge Funeral Home.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
House of Commons Speaker Greg Fergus survives vote calling for his ouster
Greg Fergus survived a vote to oust him as House of Commons Speaker on Tuesday, but with close to half of MPs expressing a loss of confidence in him, he faces a precarious path forward in maintaining order in Parliament.
'It was hell': Israeli mother held hostage with her children describes 51 days in captivity
Hagar Brodutch, her three children and four-year-old neighbour were kidnapped by Hamas-led militants from their home in Kfar Aza, Israel on Oct. 7 and held for 51 days. They were released in November, but Brodutch says her thoughts are never far from those still being held in Gaza.
'Unruly passenger' forces WestJet flight to make emergency landing in B.C.
A WestJet flight heading to Calgary had to make an emergency landing in northern B.C. Monday due to an incident involving an 'unruly passenger,' Mounties say.
P.E.I. kiteboarder 'lucky to be alive' after shark attack in Turks and Caicos
A professional kiteboarder from P.E.I. says he has been seriously injured in a shark attack that occurred while he was snorkelling in the Turks and Caicos Islands last week.
Teen dies after being hit by train in N.W. Calgary
A teenager has died after being hit by a train in northwest Calgary on Tuesday afternoon.
Black bear kebabs make family sick with parasitic worms
It was supposed to be a celebration, but one family’s unique meal of black bear meat sent several members to the hospital instead.
'It's his vacation too': Jimmy the baby goat joins 2-week road trip across Canada
After Jimmy the baby goat was shunned by his mother, a New Brunswick man took the kid on a two-week road trip across Canada.
The double-level airplane seat is back. This time, there’s a first-class version
It’s the airplane seat design that launched a thousand memes and kickstarted a media storm. And now the double-level seat is back – only this time, with a twist.
New COVID-19 subvariants become the dominant strains in Canada
More than four years after COVID-19 effectively shut down the world, two new variants of COVID-19 have become the dominant strains of the novel coronavirus in Canada.