"A family who lost three loved ones in a fatal wrong-way crash on Highway 401 last year has launched a lawsuit against the officers involved, the police board and the estate of the suspect, also killed in the crash, that police were pursuing. Gokulnath Manivannan and his wife Ashwitha Jawahar were the sole survivors in the April 2024 collision that killed Manivannan's parents and the couple's three-month-old son."
"The collision happened on April 29, 2024 after a police chase that began with an alleged liquor store robbery in Bowmanville, Ont., where police pursued the suspect as he drove the wrong way on Highway 401 in Whitby, about 50 kilometres east of Toronto, according to the Special Investigations Unit, Ontario's police watchdog. That chase ended in the fatal collision that involved at least six vehicles, the SIU said at the time."
"The robbery suspect was also killed. Two Durham police officers, Sgt. Richard Flynn and Const. Brandon Hamilton, are facing criminal charges in connection with the collision following an SIU investigation. A statement of claim for the family's lawsuit says that while the suspect operated his vehicle with wanton disregard for their well-being, the officers' decision to pursue the suspect while driving the wrong way on Highway 401 and failing to consider alternatives was also reckless and resulted in death and bodily harm."
A wrong-way police pursuit on April 29, 2024 led to a multi-vehicle collision on Highway 401 that killed three family members and the robbery suspect. Gokulnath Manivannan and his wife Ashwitha Jawahar survived; the crash killed Manivannan's parents and the couple's three-month-old son. The family filed a $25 million lawsuit naming two officers, Durham Regional Police, Ontario Provincial Police, the police board and the suspect's estate, alleging negligence and recklessness in pursuing the wrong-way driver and failing to consider alternatives. The SIU reported at least six vehicles were involved, and two Durham officers face criminal charges.
Read at www.cbc.ca
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