Plumber killed by allegedly impaired wrong-way driver on Hwy. 401 mourned
“His main goal in life was to spend quality time with his family, and for them to all lead happy, fulfilling lives": family of Dan Yang Song
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A man who was killed after an alleged impaired driver went the wrong way on Hwy. 401 in Pickering Dec. 30 was celebrated Tuesday at a memorial service in Whitby.
Dan Yang Song, 55, was driving to his job as a plumber when he was killed in the crash that also injured two other people including a Toronto Police cadet.
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The crash involved three vehicles at about 5 a.m. at Hwy. 401 and Brock Rd.
“Dan Yang was a knowledgeable, hardworking man who was always on time for work and many of his co-workers saw him as a brother,” the family wrote in a tribute. “He was well-respected by everyone he worked with not only for his excellent plumbing skills, but also for his architectural and design abilities. His co-workers would often describe him as a ‘math genius’ and a man who could really eat despite being so skinny.”
Song’s family and friends gathered to celebrate his life Tuesday afternoon at a funeral home.
They described him as someone who “worked tirelessly for his family, often staying extra hours at work, working weekends, and would even sometimes work seven days a week in order to earn that extra bit for his family to lead a better-quality life.”
Song leaves behind his wife and three children.
“His main goal in life was to spend quality time with his family, and for them to all lead happy, fulfilling lives,” the family said.
Yang had celebrated his birthday just 13 days before the violent crash.
“One of his favourite hobbies was watching TV with his wife and family,” his family wrote. “During holidays and special events, his friends would always come to Dan Yang’s house to gather. Everyone enjoyed being around his positive and playful personality.”
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The OPP described the deadly crash as “a collision involving three vehicles and reports (say) one of those vehicles was travelling eastbound in the westbound lanes when it collided head on with another vehicle.”
The Toronto Police Association and Toronto Police have rallied to support a cadet injured during the same crash.
The unnamed recruit was on his way to Toronto Police College when he was struck and suffered from injuries described as “life-altering.”
Sources say the Toronto Police Service recruit had recently completed training at the Ontario Police College in Aylmer and was in final training to start with TPS in the new year.
He was rushed to hospital in critical condition.
Sources say he will live but he faces “a long road ahead.”
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