Peel Region Police announced on Thursday that hey have charged 40-year-old Gurpreet Hehar who fled the scene after allegedly causing a four-vehicle collision in Brampton on August 3.
Police said on August 3, a four-vehicle collision occurred at Airport Road and Clark Boulevard in Brampton. Hehar, who is believed to have caused the collision, was driving a stolen Dodge Ram pickup truck; and fled the scene of the crash on foot.
Hehar was allegedly driving the stolen vehicle at a high-speed rate and rammed into an SUV that was not moving at the time – causing a chain collision.
The passengers of the SUV, Samantha Ritchie and her two children, ages 12 and 8, were transported to the hospital with life-altering injuries while the family dog died in the accident. According to a GoFundMe page organized to raise funds for the family, all three are in hospital with extensive injuries, and 8-year-old Nixon remains in a medically induced coma.
Samantha Ritchie with her children, via GoFundMe/DanaDoyle
Three other people, along with a passenger in the stolen vehicle with Hehar also suffered injuries of varying degrees.
Gurpreet Hehar is not facing 18 charges, including counts of dangerous operation causing bodily harm, four counts of failing to remain causing bodily harm, and five counts of operating while prohibited. He already had a province-wide driving prohibition for multiple previous offences such as impaired driving and dangerous driving, police said.
“Although this started with what is seen as a property crime, with a vehicle being stolen; it led to this gravely unfortunate situation that has altered the lives and well-being of a family in our community”, Inspector Wendy Sims of Road Safety Services said in the statement.