The aunt of the three children who died in a suspected impaired driving crash in Etobicoke over the long weekend is speaking out about the tragedy and the family’s grief.
Late Tuesday afternoon, Janelle Galve told CTV News Toronto that two of her nephews, age 15 and 13, and a six-year-old niece, all of whom are siblings, were killed in the two-vehicle collision.
The two boys died at the scene, while the girl succumbed to her injuries in hospital a short time later.
The children cannot be identified under the provisions of a court-ordered publication ban.
Three other people were critically injured in the crash, including the kids’ 35-year-old mother and their 10-year-old brother as well as the mom’s 40-year-old boyfriend, who was driving the minivan they were in.
Those individuals are currently in stable condition, police have said.
Their identities are also being withheld as to not identify the three children who died.
The collision occurred at around 12:30 a.m. on Sunday at the eastbound off-ramp from Highway 401 to Renforth Drive.
Toronto police said the driver of a a silver-coloured Dodge Caravan was travelling at a high rate of speed when they struck a Chrysler minivan that was stopped at a red light.
‘This whole thing is not fair’: victims’ aunt
Galve told CTV News Toronto that her sister, her four kids, and her boyfriend had spent a fun evening in Milton with her watching fireworks prior to the fatal collision.
She said around 5 a.m. on Sunday she received a call from her sister letting her know they’d been in a terrible crash and found out a short time later that two of her nephews and a niece had died.
“[My sister] didn’t know what happened to the kids or where they were,” Galve shared.
“About an hour later I got a call from a detective saying my niece and two nephews had been deceased.”
Galve said her 10-year-old nephew who survived has some broken bones but is recovering well at The Hospital for Sick Children and hopes to be released in a few days.
She said her sister and her boyfriend also remain in the hospital and are conscious and in pain, adding that they’ll have a long recovery and are waiting for good news.
Galve said the older nephew who died loved playing Call of Duty and basketball and took care of his siblings, while the 13-year-old, she said, was a caring boy who was in the student body and loved helping his younger sister.
Galve said her niece was the sweetest little girl who loved to dance and sing.
“Our go-to was going on food runs. They loved bubble tea and sushi. The fact that we can’t have that memory with them any more is really heartbreaking,” she said.
“It’s not fair. This whole thing is not fair. Losing my niece and nephews at a young age is not fair.”
School board ‘heartbroken by this loss’
On Monday, the Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB) said supports would be available for children returning to class today following the horrific long weekend crash.
In an email to CP24, the board confirmed that all four of the children involved in the deadly collision attended TCDSB schools.
“We are heartbroken by this loss, which will be felt deeply throughout our entire school community,” the board wrote.
The TCDSB said “age-appropriate mental health and faith-based supports,” including social work and psychology teams, would be available in the affected schools this week to help students, staff and the community process the news.
“In light of the ongoing police investigation, and out of respect for the family and our grieving school communities, our focus remains on offering support, care, and prayer for all those affected by this unimaginable tragedy,” it said.
‘Nobody should have to go through this grief,’ says aunt
Galve said her children, who are 10 and 12 years old, want to share the message with everyone that they’re angry and are going to miss their cousins.
“Nobody should have to go through this grief, this kind of pain,” she said.
“It’s so important that everyone is aware that drinking and driving is not OK… Again, this should not have happened.”
Support for the family has been swift and a crowdfunding page has already raised almost $150,000.
A makeshift memorial is also now growing at the scene of the crash as people come by the pay their respects.
Police previously said that 19-year-old Ethan Lehouillier of Georgetown, Ont., is facing a dozen charges in connection with the crash, including dangerous driving causing death and impaired operation of a conveyance causing death. The charges have not been proven in court.
Lehouillier briefly appeared in court Tuesday via video conference from a detention centre. He is expected to remain in custody until his next court appearance on June 17.
The investigation is ongoing and Toronto police are asking anyone with further information to reach out to them or Crime Stoppers anonymously.
With files from The Canadian Press and CTV News Toronto’s Beth Macdonell
