Man who lost his 'bundle of joy,' parents in Hwy. 401 crash says he and wife are 'reeling'

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The family of the grandfather, grandmother and baby killed in a wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 have issued a statement and announced funeral arrangements.

“Our family is reeling from a devastating tragedy following a wrong-way crash involving a police chase on Ontario Hwy. 401 in Toronto, Canada, on April 29, 2024.

“I, Gokulnath Manivannan, and my wife Ashwitha Jawahar, are mourning the loss of three of the most precious people in our lives, our three-month-old bundle of joy Aditya Vivaan, our respected father Mr. Manivannan Srinivasapillai and our most god-fearing mother Mrs. Mahalakshmi Ananthakrishnan,” the statement said.

Srinivasapillai and Ananthakrishnan were visiting from India to meet their grandchild and had only been here for two days before the crash on April 29.

The family said they are in agony knowing they can never hold their child again.

“His small toys and clothes remain spread around our home, and we have no courage in us to even enter our home which is filled with our only son’s memories,” the statement said. “My father, who had recently retired at the age of 60, was overjoyed with the opportunity to spend time with his grandson. He affectionately referred to this time as the ‘year of grandparents fun.’

“My mother, aged 55, was eagerly anticipating every moment with her son and grandson, planning to make their stay all about her grandchild. The pain of my own injuries pales as I grapple with the shock and loss of my parents and my only son on the same evening and the ordeal continues with my wife’s continued suffering from surgeries and repeated flashbacks of the trauma.”

The family asked that they be able to grieve in private.

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The province’s Special Investigations Unit said Durham Regional Police were chasing a cargo van that had been identified as a vehicle of interest in an alleged liquor store robbery in Clarington with the pursuit shifting to Hwy. 401 before the crash happened.

The 21-year-old male driver of the van was also killed in the crash, while a 38-year-old male passenger suffered serious injuries and was not expected to live, sources told the Sun last week.

The cremation for the grandparents will be on Monday at Forest Lawn Crematorium at 4570 Yonge St., starting at at 11 a.m.

A visitation for the baby is on Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Chapel Ridge Funeral Home at 8911 Woodbine Ave. in Markham.

The cremation and witnessing will be at 2:30 p.m. at Forest Lawn Crematorium.