A 16-year-old boy who died after a late-night crash in Vaughan earlier this week is being remembered by his friends and fellow students as a kind and respectful person.
Shortly before midnight Tuesday, a Kia Sportage carrying five teenagers was travelling west on King Vaughan Road when it veered off the roadway and slammed into a tree.
Three of the five teens needed to be extricated from the wreckage by firefighters.
One of the passengers, identified by friends as Daniel Zeno, died of his injuries in hospital one day later.
Another passenger, a 15-year-old boy, was initially listed as being in life-threatening condition. By Thursday, his condition had improved.
The driver, a 17-year-old girl, and a 16-year-old boy both suffered minor injuries. The remaining passenger, 16-year-old girl, was seriously hurt but is expected to survive.
Friends tell CTV News Toronto that Zeno was someone who always had a positive outlook. He was a student at Emily Carr Secondary School and worked at a nearby Longo’s.
Anthony Longo, the president and CEO of the company, released a statement regarding Zeno’s death on Thursday afternoon.
“We are deeply saddened by this tragedy and our thoughts and prayers are with Daniel’s family. We are currently providing grief counselling to team members who have worked with Daniel,” the statement read.
In a statement, the York Region District School Board also noted it will be providing support to students who need it.
"We are heartbroken to hear of the loss of one of our students. Our thoughts and condolences are with the family and with our students recovering from injuries during this difficult time. We are currently reaching out to those affected by this accident," the statement reads.
"Our focus in the coming days will be on supporting our students and staff members. The Board has trained support staff who will be available to provide support to grieving students and staff members."
While charges have not been laid, police say that could be a possibility as the investigation continues.
At the time of the crash, road conditions were dry and clear. Police are also looking at whether speed or impairment were factors.
The young driver was G2 licensed. Whether the girl was permitted to be travelling with four other passengers under the age of 19 at that time is also part of the investigation.
“I’m sure while the physical injuries may have been minor (for the driver), the psychological traumatic injury would be severe and will be that way for a very long time,” Const. Andy Pattenden said.
“It’s going to be a very tough road for her.”
Anyone with information about the crash is being asked to contact police.
