The parents of a three-month-old baby boy who died in a wrong-way highway collision in Whitby have spoken out for the first time since the tragic crash that also killed the child’s grandparents.
Gokulnath Manivannan, 33 and his wife Ashwitha Jawahar, 27 lost their only child, Aditya Vivaan, and Manivannan’s parents, Manivannan Srinivasapillai and Mahalakshmi Ananthakrishnan, when a vehicle driving on the wrong side of the road collided with their Nissan Sentra.
The accident occurred on April 29, while Durham Regional Police undertook a high-speed chase of a suspect driving west along the eastbound lanes of Highway 401.
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“We are at a complete loss of words to describe the agony and vacuum in our hearts knowing we can never hold our child, Aditya Vivaan, who gave us so many precious memories in such a short time, in our hands again,” the couple said in a statement shared on their behalf by Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit.
Manivannan and Jawahar were also in the vehicle at the time of the accident and were rushed to hospital for treatment. Jawahar sustained serious injuries.
Their son’s little clothes and toys are still scattered throughout their house, the statement said, as the couple can not bring themselves to return.
“We have no courage in us to even enter our home which is filled with our only son’s memories,” they wrote.
Manivannan’s parents had arrived in Canada two days prior to the crash.
His father, aged 60 and a recent retiree, and mother, 55, were both looking forward to spending an extended period of time with their grandchild, and had referred to their stay in Canada as the “year of grandparents fun.”
A 21-year-old male driving the vehicle in the police pursuit was pronounced dead at the scene. A 38-year-old male passenger was transported to hospital for serious injuries. The suspects’ names have not been made public.
The Consulate General of India, Toronto shared a message with the family on X.
“Heartfelt condolences on tragic loss of Indian nationals Mr. Manivannan, Mrs. Mahalakshmi & their grandchild in the Highway 401 collision. CG met the bereaved family at the hospital & assured all possible assistance. We are in touch with Canadian authorities,” it said.
Manivannan said his injuries feel insignificant as he navigates the loss of multiple loved ones.
“The pain of my own injuries pales as I grapple with the shock and loss of my parents and my only son on the same evening,” Manivannan wrote, while Jawahar recovers from multiple surgeries.
“While we begin the arduous journey of planning farewells for our loved ones, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to the community who hold our family in their thoughts. Amidst these challenging circumstances, we kindly ask for the space to heal in private,” the statement concluded.
Manivannan’s parents were cremated on Monday morning.
Visitation and a service for their baby will take place on May 8, from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Chapel Ridge Funeral Home.The cremation and witnessing will be at 2:30 p.m. at Forest Lawn Crematorium.
