Toronto family ‘devastated' after 3 kids killed in alleged drunk driving crash
Ramone Lavina, 15, his younger brother Jace, 13, and their six-year-old sister Mya died in a collision on May 18 that Toronto police allege was caused by an impaired teen driver.
The family's lawyer confirmed a publication ban on the children's identities was lifted on Thursday.
Police have said the crash happened shortly after midnight at the eastbound off-ramp at Renforth Drive and Highway 401. They said a 19-year-old behind the wheel of a Dodge Caravan was allegedly speeding as he exited the highway, lost control, went over a raised median and slammed into a Chrysler Pacifica minivan that was stopped at a red light.
Inside the minivan were a mother, her four children and a male acquaintance of the family, police said.
Story continues below advertisement
Ramone and Jace were pronounced dead at the scene, while Mya was rushed to hospital but died a short time later.
Get breaking National news
For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy
The mother, Jade Galve, her 10-year-old child Avery and the male driver were taken to hospital in stable condition.
The Lavina-Galve family said they are reeling from the 'unimaginable tragedy,' and they thanked the first responders, hospital staff and community members who have provided support.
'Although we remain utterly devastated, we are now in the process of planning the funeral for our three dear children, which is something no parent should ever have to endure,' the family said in a statement through their lawyer.
An online obituary says a funeral for the children is scheduled for June 14.
Police said 19-year-old Ethan Lehouillier of Georgetown, Ont., was arrested at the scene of the crash and faces 12 charges, including three counts of impaired driving causing death and three counts of impaired driving causing bodily harm. The allegations have not been tested in court.
Jim Cantos, a family friend, said in an interview after the crash that the Lavina siblings were 'tight-knit.'
He said he's known the Lavina family for years — the children's father, Maverick Lavina, is an old friend of his sister's, and they went to high school together.
Story continues below advertisement
'The kids were very respectful,' said Cantos, who coached Ramone at Toronto Future Phenom, a basketball training program in Scarborough.
'Whenever Ramone came to practice, his siblings were there as well, cheering him on. I believe they did everything together.'
Cantos said the Lavinas are Filipino Canadian and he'd heard from many in the community who are shaken by the news. He said the family is well-liked in the community.
'The Filipino community is hit hard by this,' he said, adding it's been a tough time for Filipino Canadians, especially after the late April tragedy at a Filipino street festival in Vancouver, where 11 people were killed after an SUV rammed into a crowd.
'Filipinos, we move as a group… We are very tight family-wise and community-wise,' said Cantos.
'No parent wants to go through something as tragic as burying their own kid. That's something that a kid does to their parents, not the other way around.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Global News
18 minutes ago
- Global News
Chuck E. Cheese mascot arrested in full costume for theft in Florida
It's not often you see a mascot get hauled away in handcuffs, but that's the exact scene that went down at a Florida Chuck E. Cheese this week, as onlookers watched police restrain the restaurant's iconic anthropomorphic rodent. On Wednesday, officers descended on a Tallahassee Chuck E. Cheese on reports of a stolen credit card, narrowing down the suspected thief to an employee who was inside the costume. Authorities believe Jermell Jones, who was dressed as the mouse when they arrived, stole a customer's bank card and used it to make fraudulent purchases. According to a police report, obtained by E! News, the owner of the bank card had used the card during her daughter's birthday party at the location last month. When she noticed some fraudulent charges, she decided to take matters into her own hands. Story continues below advertisement The documents allege she visited one of the locations that showed up in her irregular bank statements and obtained surveillance footage of a man making one of the purchases. She 'immediately recognized the suspect as an employee at Chuck E. Cheese,' the documents say. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy When police arrived at the children's pizza joint, Jones was handcuffed and escorted to a patrol car. He denied having anyone's bank cards and claimed he didn't know anything about the fraudulent purchases. Police later found a stolen bank card in their search, as well as a receipt allegedly matching one of the reported purchases. In total, investigators said the 41-year-old racked up US$105.57 in fraudulent charges. Photos and footage of the arrest have lit up the internet, with many questioning why police didn't have Jones remove the costume before he was placed under arrest. 'Ok, Tallahassee Police Department, y'all couldn't let this man change out of his Chuck E. Cheese costume before arresting him in front of those kids?' one Facebook user wrote while sharing photos of the incident. TPD spokesperson Alicia Hill told the Tallahassee Democrat that officers had hoped to lead Jones out of the restaurant without placing him in handcuffs. Story continues below advertisement 'When they approached him, he immediately tenses up and resists, and so at this point they make the decision to put him in handcuffs, keeping in mind the safety of not only the customers, but the suspect, as well as the officers themselves,' Hill said. 'It is unfortunate that the person who is subject of this investigation and who we had probable cause on happened to be … in costume.' Jones was charged with three felonies — theft of a credit card, criminal use of personal identification information and fraudulent use of a credit card over two times within six months, the Tallahassee Democrat reports.
Global News
an hour ago
- Global News
B.C. Highway Patrol dashcam captures consequences of unsafe driving
Dashcam video provided by B.C. Highway Patrol captured the consequences of unsafe driving in Williams Lake recently. A patrol officer was driving on Mackenzie Avenue South on July 20 when they noticed two drivers passing them who were not wearing seatbelts. The officer turned around to pull them over and then watched as the driver of a Toyota Camry drove into the back of the Ford F250 in front as both of the vehicles stopped on the side of the road. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy The 28-year-old man behind the wheel of the Camry failed a breathalyzer test. 'The BC Highway Patrol officer started by checking the driver of the Toyota Camry,' Cpl. Michael McLaughlin with BC Highway Patrol said in a statement. 'His head was bleeding liberally after smashing his own windshield. The driver blew two fail readings on an Approved Screening Device. Those readings were evidence that he was impaired by alcohol.' Story continues below advertisement The driver is facing a driving prohibition and two tickets and his vehicle was impounded. The driver of the truck was ticketed for not wearing a seatbelt.
Global News
an hour ago
- Global News
Epstein files: Trump says he hasn't considered Ghislaine Maxwell pardon
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday he has not considered granting a pardon or commutation for Ghislaine Maxwell, the longtime associate of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein who is back in the news amid a political furor over the case. 'It's something I haven't thought about,' Trump told reporters when asked about the possibility of a pardon for Maxwell. 'I'm allowed to do it, but it's something I have not thought about.' Maxwell is serving a 20-year sentence at a federal prison in Tallahassee, Florida, after being found guilty in 2021 of helping Epstein sexually abuse teenage girls. She is currently appealing her sentence. Maxwell completed a second day of interviews with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche in Tallahassee, Florida, on Friday after the Justice Department reached out to her lawyers to see if she had additional information about the case. Story continues below advertisement 2:18 Trump administration meets with jailed Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell David Markus, a lawyer for Maxwell, told reporters she answered questions truthfully, but declined to detail what was discussed. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'The truth will come out about what happened with Mr. Epstein and she's the person who's answering those questions,' Markus said. The role of Blanche, the second-highest ranking official at the Justice Department and a former personal lawyer to Trump, was unusual. Senior officials typically do not personally conduct investigative interviews. 3:51 'Release the damn files': Republicans join with Democrats to demand Trump release Epstein files Trump has been under growing pressure from his supporters and political opponents to release more information about the Justice Department's investigation into Epstein, the disgraced financier who officials ruled died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. Story continues below advertisement After Attorney General Pam Bondi earlier this year promised to release additional materials related to possible Epstein clients and the circumstances surrounding his death, the Justice Department reversed course this month and issued a memo concluding there was no basis to continue investigating and no evidence of a client list. 1:37 Obama slams Trump's 'weak attempt at distraction' from Epstein files in response to election-rigging allegation Those findings sparked an angry outcry from some of Trump's base of supporters who have long believed the government was covering up Epstein's ties to the rich and powerful. Asked about the meeting between Blanche and Maxwell, Trump said on Friday he wasn't aware of the details, only that it was taking place. He then pivoted to other claims, suggesting other high-profile figures should face scrutiny over their ties to Epstein. 'They don't talk about them. They talk about me. I have nothing to do with the guy,' Trump said. Story continues below advertisement Trump appeared with Epstein at social events in the 1990s and early 2000s. Trump's name, along with many other high-profile individuals, appeared multiple times on flight logs for Epstein's private plane in the 1990s. Trump has denied ever being on the plane and has not been accused of any wrongdoing.
