A GoFundMe has been launched to support the family of three children who were killed after their vehicle was struck by an alleged drunk driver over the weekend in Etobicoke.
As of Tuesday morning, the fundraiser has more than $130,000, surpassing its $25,000 goal, as a grieving community rallies around a mother and her surviving child.
The GoFundMe was organized by family friend L Kelly Tiemsen Tan, and all donations will be going straight to the family.
“Even in the face of such unbearable loss, still their mother Jade, and their only surviving child Avery are still hospitalized, fighting for their lives and showing great resilience in these times,” the GoFundMe description says.
“We humbly request your assistance to help them navigate this dark hour be it through donation or spreading awareness for them. Additionally, we ask for your prayers, that the grieving family may find strength, hope, and the courage to overcome this heart-wrenching tragedy.”
The crash occurred shortly after 12:30 a.m. on Sunday on the eastbound off-ramp from Highway 401 to Renforth Dr., when a Dodge Caravan travelling at a high speed lost control, crossed a raised median, and struck a minivan stopped at a red light.
Inside the minivan were a 35-year-old woman, her four children, and a 40-year-old family acquaintance who was driving.
Two of the children were pronounced dead at the scene, identified as 15-year-old Ramone Lavina and 13-year-old Jace Lavina. Their six-year-old sister, Maya, was rushed to the hospital but succumbed to her injuries shortly after.
The surviving 10-year-old sibling, their mother, and the driver were hospitalized with life-threatening injuries that have since been downgraded to stable.
Toronto police arrested the driver of the Dodge Caravan, 19-year-old Ethan Lehouillier of Georgetown, Ontario, at the scene.
He is facing 12 charges, including three counts of impaired operation of a conveyance causing death and three counts of dangerous driving causing death.
Lehouillier made his first court appearance on Sunday.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford addressed the tragedy in a statement posted on X, saying he is “heartbroken by the tragic and senseless deaths of three young children.”
I am heartbroken by the tragic and senseless deaths of three young children. My thoughts are with the families grieving this unimaginable loss of life. The person responsible for this heinous act needs to face the harshest punishment possible. https://t.co/fmSzbeolH4
— Doug Ford (@fordnation) May 18, 2025
“The person responsible for this heinous act needs to face the harshest punishment possible,” Ford said.
