Montreal college offering support after three students die in crash on Ontario highway
A Montreal CEGEP is offering support to students after three young men who attended the school were killed in a crash on Highway 401 in Ontario over the weekend.
The three students, all in their early 20s, were originally from India and were enrolled in their second year of a business administration program at Canada College, a private CEGEP in the downtown area.
Their names are Karanpal Singh, 22, Mohit Chouhan, 23 and Pawan Kumar, 23.
“Students are shocked. Everybody here. The whole community is overwhelmed. It's very sad,” said John-David Couturier, the school’s health director.
According to Couturier, one of the three students lived in Montreal while the other two made their homes in Ontario and went back and forth on their off-days
Kumar’s cousin, Aman Jayani, told CTV News that family members learned of his death through a post on Instagram.
He said Kumar moved to Canada from Lilas, a village of 2,600 in the Haryana state, two years ago. He is the youngest of five siblings. His family says they are desperate to bring the young man’s body back to India to perform last rites.
Twenty-three-year-old Pawan Kumar moved to Canada from Lilas, a village of 2,600 in the state of Haryana two years ago.
Two other men, Jaspinder Singh, 21 and Harpreet Singh, 24, were also killed.
A fourth student from Canada College was also badly injured in the crash, suffering serious injuries, including multiple fractures, officials said.
In all, eight people were in a van that was struck by a tractor-trailer along Highway 401 at 3:45 a.m. Saturday, according to Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).
OPP Const. Maggie Pickett said just before the collision, the van stopped in a live lane of the highway between Belleville and Trenton and one person got out.
Pickett could not say why the van stopped.
The driver of the truck and the person who got out of the van were not hurt. Five men were killed and two other people were seriously injured.
A roommate of Kumar also spoke with CTV News about his good friend, describing him as having a love for dance.
It was a pastime he enjoyed, he pursued it at home into the early morning hours, sometimes annoying his neighbours with the music, he said.
“I feel like crying right now,” said Soni, adding it is hard to stay positive when “he is literally gone.”
SUPPORT FOR SCHOOL COMMUNITY
Couturier said a specialized psychologist is at the school to speak to students who need support.
He also said he plans to speak with friends of the victims and other students so that they can address any cultural sensitivities related to how their community grieves.
The school has offered to pay for the funerals of the three young men in India, after learning the cost of repatriating the bodies would cost the families about $15,000.
“Many families worked very hard to save their money to send their children to Canada hoping to have a better life … so we will cover the expense for the three students,” Couturier said.
The High Commissioner of India to Canada said the Consulate General is also supporting the friends of victims.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
There's actually no such thing as vegetables. Here's why you should eat them anyway
The rumours are true: Vegetables aren't real — that is, in botany, anyway. While the term fruit is recognized botanically as anything that contains a seed or seeds, vegetable is actually a broad umbrella term.
BREAKING Israeli forces seize Rafah border crossing in Gaza, putting ceasefire talks on knife's edge
Israeli tanks seized control of Gaza’s vital Rafah border crossing on Tuesday as Israel brushed off urgent warnings from close allies and moved into the southern city even as ceasefire negotiations with Hamas remained on a knife’s edge.
The Met Gala was in full bloom with Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Mindy Kaling among the standout stars
The Met Gala and its fashionista A-listers on Monday included Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya and a parade of others in a swirl of flora and fauna looks on a green-tinged carpet lined by live foliage.
'It looked so legit': Ontario man books $7,700 luxury villa on Booking.com, but the listing was fake
An Ontario man says he was charged more than $7,700 to book a luxury villa on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.
Noelia Voigt resigns as Miss USA, citing her mental health
Noelia Voigt, who was crowned Miss USA in November 2023, has announced she is resigning from her role, saying the decision is in the best interest of her mental health.
Putin begins his fifth term as president, more in control of Russia than ever
Vladimir Putin began his fifth term Tuesday as Russian leader at a glittering Kremlin inauguration, setting out on another six years in office after destroying his political opponents, launching a devastating war in Ukraine and concentrating all power in his hands.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.