‘A family is torn apart’: 3 children killed, 3 others injured in Hwy. 401 collision; 19-year-old man facing impaired driving charges

A 19-year-old is in custody after an alleged impaired crash on Highway 401 in Toronto leaves three children dead. Beth Macdonell reports.

A 19-year-old man has been charged with impaired driving in connection with an early morning collision in Etobicoke that killed three children and injured three other people.

The collision happened shortly after 12:30 a.m. on the eastbound off-ramp from Highway 401 to Renforth Drive, where police say a silver-coloured Dodge Caravan, travelling at a “high rate of speed,” lost control, and struck a black Chrysler minivan carrying six people that was stopped at a red light.

“Unfortunately on scene, two of the children, a 15-year-old and a 13-year-old, were pronounced deceased,” acting Duty Insp. Baheer Sarvanandan told reporters on Sunday morning.

The teens have both been identified as males by police.

A six-year-old girl was also taken to the hospital but later succumbed to her injuries, they said.

The other three occupants: a 10-year-old boy, the children’s 35-year-old mother, and a 40-year-old man, whom police say was an “acquaintance of the family,” were initially transported by paramedics with life-threatening injuries. All three are now confirmed to be in stable condition.

“[This is all due to] one person’s decision to drink and drive, which is a fatal decision this person made. At Toronto Police Service, we educate the public of the dangers of drinking and driving, and this is the result: a family is torn apart,” Sarvanandan said.

The driver of the Dodge Caravan, whom police have identified as 19-year-old Ethan Lehouillier of Georgetown, Ont., was arrested at the scene.

He is facing a dozen charges, incuding dangerous driving causing death and impaired opertion of a conveyance causing death. None of the charges have been tested in court.

Lehouillier was scheduled to appear at in bail court at 10 a.m. on Sunday.

Premier says person responsible for fatal crash should face ‘harshest punishment possible’

In a post on X, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said his “thoughts are with the families grieving this unimaginable loss of life.”

“I am heartbroken by the tragic and senseless deaths of three young children,” he wrote.

“The person responsible for this heinous act needs to face the harshest punishment possible.”

A portion of Renforth Drive was closed in the area due to the investigation, but has since reopened.

Toronto police are asking anyone with information as well as anyone who may have seen or capture the Dodge Caravan driving eastbound on Highway 401 on video to contact Traffic Services at 416-808-1900 or Crime Stoppers anonymously.

With files from CTV News Toronto’s Beth Macdonell