Mother of children killed in Vaughan crash says 'it's the worst nightmare'

A woman whose three children and father died in a horrific vehicle crash north of Toronto yesterday says she learned about the fatal collision when she saw a picture of her van on TV while waiting for her parents and children to return home.

Jennifer Neville-Lake, speaking to television station CP24, said her mother was driving the minivan with her grandmother, father, and three children inside. The van collided with a black SUV at the intersection of Kirby Road and Kipling Avenue north of Kleinburg just after 4 p.m. ET Sunday.

A man faces 18 charges in relation to the crash, including impaired driving and dangerous driving causing death.

Neville-Lake said her parents had been late coming home with her kids Sunday, and they were not answering their cellphones. After seeing the image of her van on television, she called her husband home from work and they went to the police station, where she was told what had happened.

"It's, like, the worst nightmare," she said. "As a daughter, as a parent to have to go through. And to know it was caused by someone's stupidity. It kills me."

She said two of her children — Harry and Milly — were taken to Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children, where they died while holding hands. She said she has not yet been able to see the bodies of her father or her oldest son, Daniel.

Neville-Lake said her mother was able to say goodbye and sang to the children before she was transferred to another hospital.

She said the autopsies are not yet complete, but they are starting to plan funerals.

'Gone home to God'

Neville-Lake said in a Facebook post that her loved ones "have gone home to God with my dad."

The following is a Facebook message posted just after 9 a.m. ET Monday by Neville-Lake to a Facebook group called Today's Mom, which has more than 5,000 members: 

"Thank you everyone. Your kind words and messages mean so much to my husband and as we sit in our sons empty room surrounded by our children's things. As you know all of my children have gone home to God with my dad. My mother and grandmother are still in the hospital. Today we hope to see our big one as we were unable to see him last night. Please keep us in your prayers. God bless."

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The Neville-Lake family is now the subject of a Go Fund Me page. The campaign has raised more than $66,000 in less than 24 hours.

Those killed were: 

• Daniel, 9.
• Harry, 5.
• Milly, 2.
• The children's grandfather, 65, whose name hasn't been released yet.

Neville-Lake's mother and grandmother were also injured. They are recovering in hospital. 

Two people riding in a third vehicle involved in the crash were not hurt. 

York Regional Police are asking anyone with information about the crash to contact them at 1-866-876-5423, ext. 7704.