Toronto city council holds moment of silence in memory of 3 children killed in 401 crash

Toronto city council held a moment of silence on Wednesday in memory of three children killed in a crash on a Highway 401 exit ramp on the weekend.

Mayor Olivia Chow told reporters before a council meeting that her heart goes out to the family. The two-vehicle crash happened at the eastbound off-ramp at Renforth Drive and Highway 401 shortly before midnight on Sunday. 

"It was heartbreaking, heart-wrenching," said Chow. "It's devastating to lose three kids — young and bright."

Toronto police allege a driver was speeding in a Dodge Caravan while heading east, when he lost control of his vehicle. The van then went over a median and collided with a Chrysler Pacifica minivan stopped at a traffic light.

Four children, their mother, and a family friend were inside at the time, police said. Three children, siblings aged 15, 13 and 6, were killed. Their identities are covered under a court-ordered publication ban.

A 40-year-old man who was behind the wheel of the Pacifica, a 35-year-old woman and a 10-year-old child are in hospital, according to police.

Ethan Lehouillier, 19, of Georgetown, Ont., was arrested at the scene and charged with 12 offences, including three counts of impaired driving causing death. He appeared in court via video conference from a detention centre on Tuesday. He is expected to remain in custody until his next court appearance in June.

Chow said parents, if they have influence over their teenagers, need to "really hammer home" that their teens should not drink and drive.

"The statistics have been going down through the decades, but still one is too many."

Coun. Brad Bradford, who represents Beaches-East York, said the crash is an "unspeakable tragedy." He said it has caused "unspeakable sorrow and grief" for the family.

"I hope they throw the book at this guy. And I hope the family, the extended family, in the days ahead is supported and finds some comfort as they work through what will be a process that lasts forever. But you hope they find some comfort in the days, weeks, months and years ahead," Bradford said.

School board providing supports for classmates, teachers

The Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB), meanwhile, has confirmed that all four students involved in the crash were students at its schools. The board said it has "age-appropriate mental health and faith-based supports" in place to help staff and students as they grieve for the children.

Markus de Domenico, chair of the TCDSB, it may be difficult for the classmates of the children killed in the crash to process that they are gone. He said the board is there to support the students.

"They're going to just feel this loss of their friend and they won't understand it. How can any of us understand a family being destroyed like that? How can we comprehend it? How can we rationalize it? And for a young child, it's a lot to deal with," Domenico said.

A makeshift memorial has been set up outside an elementary school in East York to remember the three children.