Support pours in for victims of tragic crash in west London, Ont.
CBC
People in London, Ont., are grieving following the death of an eight-year-old girl in a collision in the city's southwest. Eleven female pedestrians were injured when a 76-year-old driver stuck a group including Girl Guides on Tuesday night.
"This is horrendous," said Patty Slater, a mother of two who is from the neighbourhood. "My heart just hurts so much for this family and all of the families involved."
She left flowers at the site of the incident, where police say the 76-year-old woman driving westbound on Riverside Drive first struck another vehicle stopped at a red light at Wonderland Road. She drove through the intersection, mounted a curb, then struck a light pole and small tree before striking a group walking along the north side of the street.
"No parent is supposed to bury their child," said Slater. "Our neighbourhood has had so much tragedy this year. It's too much. Now we're going through it again."
London Mayor Ed Holder said he felt he'd "been punched out" when he heard about the incident. He visited the crash site with Ontario Premier Doug Ford on Wednesday afternoon.
"They look at this and they're hurting," he said, referring to people in London. "I think they're exhausted and tired, and we just want things to kind of go back to whatever normal used to be, and I don't even know what that means anymore."
Police said the driver remained at the scene and there's no indication it was an intentional act. She wasn't injured or taken to hospital. No charges have been laid.
"We want to send a signal of hope to the community that we all need to rally around these families," Holder explained while laying flowers. "Just as we did with the Afzaal family and the little boy who is without parents and a sister and a grandma."
On June 6, the London family was killed after a black truck slammed into them during an evening walk. Salman Afzaal, 46, his wife Madiha Salman, 44, their 15-year-old daughter Yumna Afzaal and Salman Afzaal's 74-year-old mother, Talat Afzaal, were killed. Nine-year-old Fayez survived.
"This community has been through so much in 2021," said Holder.
The pedestrians struck in Tuesday's collision range from six to 40 years old. Police say one adult and four children remain in hospital in fair condition. One child is considered to be in good condition in hospital and a teen and another child have been released.
The eight-year-old girl who died has not been named, but she was a student who attended a school within the Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB).
The board said Wednesday that members of the Traumatic Events Response Team visited the victims' schools to offer support to peers, teachers and staff. Information will also be sent home to families to help parents and guardians answer questions their children might have about the crash.
The London District Catholic School Board also issued a statement, as one of the victims attended Notre Dame Public School.
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