The family who lost their beloved three children and grandfather in a drunk driving accident in Vaughan, Ont. on Sunday is holding a candlelight vigil on Oct. 1.
On Sunday, police were called to the intersection of Kirby Road and Kipling Avenue around 4 p.m. for a motor vehicle accident. According to police, a drunk driver ran their SUV through a stop sign at the intersection and crashed into the side of the family’s minivan. The SUV then struck another vehicle. The two people in the third vehicle were not injured.
Three children, their grandfather and grandmother were in the vehicle when the accident occurred. The mother of the young children found out about the accident while watching television.
Two boys ages 9 and 5, and their sister, age 2, along with their 65-year-old grandfather died in the crash on Sunday afternoon. The grandmother was pinned in the car and suffered serious injuries. According to reports, the two brothers passed away while holding hands at the hospital.
Tonight’s candlelight vigil for the family is set to take place at the St. Padre Pio church in Vaughan.
Police have identified the drunk driver as Marco Puzzo of King Township. He is facing 18 charges, including four counts for impaired driving causing death, four counts for dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death, and two counts for impaired driving causing bodily harm.
A crowd funding page was set up for the family, and as of Tuesday, locals had come together to raise more than $100,000 for the grieving family. The mother of the children has signed a petition calling for tougher penalties for impaired drivers. So far, more than 25,000 people have signed this petition.
Furthermore, MADD Canada is also calling for tougher drinking and driving rules in light of this recent tragedy. Although drunk driving accidents have decreased over the years, the number one cause of criminal death in Canada is still drunk driving.
The Windsor injury lawyers and staff at Greg Monforton & Partners send their deepest condolences to everyone impacted by this terrible tragedy and encourage residents to take a stand against drunk driving.