Mom and 2 kids critically injured in Brampton hit-and-run face 'steep' recovery: family

Watch: Moment of Brampton crash with stolen truck Surveillance footage caught the moment a stolen pickup truck smashed into stopped vehicles in Brampton.

A single mother and her two children suffered life-altering injuries after a hit-and-run in Brampton last week, according to a relative who described the crash as “devastating.”

Samantha Ritchie and her two children, 12 and 8, were on their way home from a dog training class last Thursday evening when they stopped at a red light, Ritchie’s cousin Dana Doyle wrote in a GoFundMe campaign.

Her vehicle was then hit from behind at a high rate of speed by the driver of a stolen pickup truck, Doyle said.

Video of the collision obtained by CTV News Toronto last week shows the speeding truck crashing into the stopped cars as dust and debris fill the intersection of Airport Road and Clark Boulevard.

Ritchie, who Doyle said is a special education teacher, and her children were critically injured in the crash. Since then, police have said their conditions are considered to be serious but not life-threatening.

“All three are in hospital with extensive injuries, and 8-year-old Nixon remains in a medically induced coma. They have all undergone surgeries, and there are likely more to come,” Doyle said in a news release announcing the fundraising effort.

She added that the family’s rescue dog, Finnegan, did not survive the crash.

“We are heartbroken. It’s hard to see Sam and her kids experience so much pain and trauma, especially after such a senseless act,” Doyle said. “Sam hasn’t been able to see her kids because she is at a different hospital.”

So far, $17,732 has been raised of Doyle’s $25,000 goal.

“Nothing can change the steep uphill climb they are facing, but the GoFundMe could help relieve some of the financial pressures,” Doyle wrote. She said all proceeds of the fundraiser will go directly to Ritchie and her kids to help them bounce back.

Two other men were also taken to hospital with minor injuries following the collision. A passenger of the stolen vehicle was transported to hospital with serious injuries following the crash, though it’s unclear what charges, if any, he will face.

Speaking to CTV News Toronto on Thursday, Peel Regional Police confirmed that the driver of the stolen vehicle, who police said fled the scene after causing the crash, is still outstanding.

Police told CTV News Toronto that the family is aware of the fundraising efforts on their behalf.

No suspect information has been released and police have not said where or when the vehicle was stolen.

An investigation by the Major Collision Bureau is ongoing.