Mon Oct 19 2009
Carola Vyhnak and Thandiwe Vela
Staff Reporters
The Star (Toronto, Canada)
Forty-four-year-old Hon To appeared to be winning her two-year battle with bone marrow cancer. Her 24-year-old daughter, Khan (Christine) Taing, who was helping nurse her back to health, was poised to reach her goal of becoming a nurse.
Returning home from prayers at their local temple late Saturday night, the two women were killed in a horrendous car crash on Finch Ave. W. at Tobermory Dr., victims of a suspected drunk driver who police estimate was travelling at 200 km/h in his BMW in a posted 60 km/h zone.
Moments before the impact, the westbound BMW flew past a police cruiser heading east on Finch, said Sgt. Tim Burrows of Traffic Services, adding the officers saw the crash in their rear-view mirror.
According to the officers, Burrows said, the BMW was "out of control."
After slicing the Honda Odyssey minivan in half, the BMW travelled another 100 metres or so, police said, coming to rest near a bus shelter and close to the foot of a sign warning motorists of a pedestrian crossing ahead.
A female friend who was a passenger in the family's minivan driven by To's husband, Pho Taing, was also pronounced dead at the scene.
A fourth passenger, a woman in her 30s, was in critical condition in hospital.
The 21-year-old driver of the BMW, who suffered non-life-threatening injuries, was charged with three counts of impaired driving causing death, three counts of criminal negligence causing death and failure to provide a breath sample.
Seasoned investigators were stunned by the wreckage from the impact, which tore the minivan apart, throwing the three victims from the eastbound vehicle as it attempted to turn left onto Tobermory Dr. from Finch.
"Everything is lost," To's grief-stricken brother-in-law, Yun Ho, said at Sunnybrook Hospital, where Taing, 43, was grappling with the loss of his wife and daughter while being treated for serious injuries.
"He is in a deep depression now. He keeps crying all the time. I am heartbroken for so many people," Ho said.
Things had been looking up for the family, which came to Canada from Cambodia more than 10 years ago, he said.
To, who was diagnosed with cancer two years ago, had already lived beyond doctors' expectations.
"Now she was much better, her condition was getting better recently," Ho said, recalling how her husband had quit his job as a factory worker to look after her.
"She could walk slowly without help."
The couple's daughter was in her last year of nursing studies at the University of Toronto, said Ho.
"She was still young and just about to start work in her profession, almost reaching her goal and now it's all gone."
Christine was "very sweet, very hard-working, a great girl" who spent all her time studying, caring for her mother or working at part-time jobs to pay her tuition and help support the family. They often went to a nearby temple to pray with other members of the community, he said.
"They were very friendly. They would get together to pray and share their love and caring for each other."
Taing usually drove friends and family members there to worship. He had dropped off another relative at her home just before the crash, Ho said.
While the extent of Taing's injuries was still unclear Sunday evening, Ho said he had a broken collarbone and was experiencing chest pains.
Ho shook his head in bewilderment over the tragedy.
"He (Taing) is not a drinker. He never drinks. We only drink tea and coffee."
Jenny To, one of a large group of friends and family members gathered at the hospital, said Christine was "a bit of a social butterfly."
"Any time we felt lonely we would just call each other," she said.
The destruction caused by the collision shocked police, who said it was the kind seen occasionally on highways but not on a Toronto street.
Hours after the collision, the front of the minivan lay on grass between the sidewalk and road, wires and metal protruding from its open end.
Firefighters at the scene cut one piece of the van apart and removed its contents.
"All in all, this was an absolutely atrocious night on our roadways," Burrows said, adding that at least half a dozen other drivers were arrested for drinking and driving offences.
"Drinking and driving is a no-brain issue," Burrows said. "Once you've added alcohol to your system, driving should be out of the equation."
With files from Stephen Smysnuik and The Canadian Press
Returning home from prayers at their local temple late Saturday night, the two women were killed in a horrendous car crash on Finch Ave. W. at Tobermory Dr., victims of a suspected drunk driver who police estimate was travelling at 200 km/h in his BMW in a posted 60 km/h zone.
Moments before the impact, the westbound BMW flew past a police cruiser heading east on Finch, said Sgt. Tim Burrows of Traffic Services, adding the officers saw the crash in their rear-view mirror.
According to the officers, Burrows said, the BMW was "out of control."
After slicing the Honda Odyssey minivan in half, the BMW travelled another 100 metres or so, police said, coming to rest near a bus shelter and close to the foot of a sign warning motorists of a pedestrian crossing ahead.
A female friend who was a passenger in the family's minivan driven by To's husband, Pho Taing, was also pronounced dead at the scene.
A fourth passenger, a woman in her 30s, was in critical condition in hospital.
The 21-year-old driver of the BMW, who suffered non-life-threatening injuries, was charged with three counts of impaired driving causing death, three counts of criminal negligence causing death and failure to provide a breath sample.
Seasoned investigators were stunned by the wreckage from the impact, which tore the minivan apart, throwing the three victims from the eastbound vehicle as it attempted to turn left onto Tobermory Dr. from Finch.
"Everything is lost," To's grief-stricken brother-in-law, Yun Ho, said at Sunnybrook Hospital, where Taing, 43, was grappling with the loss of his wife and daughter while being treated for serious injuries.
"He is in a deep depression now. He keeps crying all the time. I am heartbroken for so many people," Ho said.
Things had been looking up for the family, which came to Canada from Cambodia more than 10 years ago, he said.
To, who was diagnosed with cancer two years ago, had already lived beyond doctors' expectations.
"Now she was much better, her condition was getting better recently," Ho said, recalling how her husband had quit his job as a factory worker to look after her.
"She could walk slowly without help."
The couple's daughter was in her last year of nursing studies at the University of Toronto, said Ho.
"She was still young and just about to start work in her profession, almost reaching her goal and now it's all gone."
Christine was "very sweet, very hard-working, a great girl" who spent all her time studying, caring for her mother or working at part-time jobs to pay her tuition and help support the family. They often went to a nearby temple to pray with other members of the community, he said.
"They were very friendly. They would get together to pray and share their love and caring for each other."
Taing usually drove friends and family members there to worship. He had dropped off another relative at her home just before the crash, Ho said.
While the extent of Taing's injuries was still unclear Sunday evening, Ho said he had a broken collarbone and was experiencing chest pains.
Ho shook his head in bewilderment over the tragedy.
"He (Taing) is not a drinker. He never drinks. We only drink tea and coffee."
Jenny To, one of a large group of friends and family members gathered at the hospital, said Christine was "a bit of a social butterfly."
"Any time we felt lonely we would just call each other," she said.
The destruction caused by the collision shocked police, who said it was the kind seen occasionally on highways but not on a Toronto street.
Hours after the collision, the front of the minivan lay on grass between the sidewalk and road, wires and metal protruding from its open end.
Firefighters at the scene cut one piece of the van apart and removed its contents.
"All in all, this was an absolutely atrocious night on our roadways," Burrows said, adding that at least half a dozen other drivers were arrested for drinking and driving offences.
"Drinking and driving is a no-brain issue," Burrows said. "Once you've added alcohol to your system, driving should be out of the equation."
With files from Stephen Smysnuik and The Canadian Press
2 comments:
KILL HIMMM!! HE KILLED OUR PEOPLE FOR STUPIDNESS.KILL HIMM
Wow.. just so sad !
All I can say :
Our condoleance to the members of families !!!
Khmer canadian
Post a Comment