Brampton school reeling after deadly crash
Outpouring of grief, support for family that lost children, grandfather ‘in an instant’
Under a grey sky, parents, students and teachers filed into St. Joachim school Tuesday for the first of two morning masses that offered remembrance and prayer for three children, all under age 10, and their grandfather who died following a three-car collision allegedly caused by a drunk driver Sunday afternoon.
Members of the Brampton Catholic school community struggled to come to terms with the loss of Daniel Neville-Lake, 9, and his brother Harry, 5 — both students at St. Joachim — as well as their sister Millie, 2, and grandfather, 65-year-old Gary Neville.
“It’s a terrible situation,” said Gord Byrne, who has two grandchildren attending St. Joachim. “Trying to imagine that happening to me, it would be devastating.”
Father James Cherickal of St. Anne’s Church tried to bring comfort to congregants struggling to understand the tragedy and reconcile their faith with Sunday’s loss.
“The students were very much affected. Words cannot explain the tragedy,” Cherickal told reporters outside the school.
Parents Jennifer Neville-Lake and Edward Lake attended the mass. “Hell’s a lot nicer than this,” Edward Lake told the Star Monday. “We close our eyes and they’re all we see . . . This is a nightmare that will never go away.”
A GoFundMe page set up to help support the family’s funeral costs has exceeded its goal of $5,000, reaching $170,000 by Tuesday evening.
Homeroom teachers at St. Joachim told students about the Vaughan accident Monday morning. Social workers will be on hand to speak with students, said Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board spokesperson Nancy Marshall. Students were encouraged to create pictures, poems and artwork to express their feelings, she added.
Inside the school foyer, a memorial table featured a framed photograph of the family, a memorial book for well-wishers to write their thoughts and a My Little Pony figurine — Harry’s favourite toy.
“I can’t imagine ever having to go through that, losing your whole family in an instant,” said area resident Jessica Jewer. She also expressed empathy for the family of Marco Muzzo, now facing charges for causing death and bodily harm related to the deadly crash. His bail hearing is scheduled for Friday in Newmarket. Muzzo is represented by prominent defence lawyer Brian Greenspan’s Toronto law firm, Greenspan Humphrey Lavine, the Star learned Tuesday.
“I can’t imagine his family. . . . They must going through a difficult time.”
Muzzo’s mother, Dawn, issued a statement Tuesday expressing her family’s condolences.
“We are all greatly saddened by yesterday’s tragedy and express our deepest sympathy and condolences to the Neville, Lake and Frias fami- lies,” referring also to the children’s great-grandmother, Josephina Frias, who was injured along with their grandmother, Neriza Neville. Both women are expected to survive.
“We would ask for the co-operation of the media in respecting the privacy of our family during this very difficult time.”
Muzzo, the grandson of a wealthy Ontario real estate mogul, has faced provincial offences (which do not lead to a criminal record) in the past in a number of jurisdictions involving, separately, alcohol and driving, according to court records.
He paid a $280 fine earlier this year for driving with a hand-held device in Caledon, the Star learned. In Orillia, he was slapped with a fine for driving an off-road vehicle on the highway, and in Vaughan, he was ticketed for being intoxicated in a public place in February 2012.
In Newmarket, he paid a fine for speeding in August 2013. The Star also learned that he faced allegations of driving 134 km/h in a 100 zone in Oshawa, and 72 km/h in a 50 zone in Mississauga, but that those tickets were withdrawn in February 2012. No reasons were given in the two cities’ court database.
Criminal defence lawyer Daniel Brown, who isn’t involved in Muzzo’s case, said it’s unlikely these offences would have an impact if Muzzo goes to trial for the Vaughan charges.
“A prior conviction is generally only admissible to challenge the credibility of an accused person if he or she chose to testify,” he said. “Given that the provincial offences have little (if any) impact on Mr. Muzzo’s credibility, I don’t see any reason why those convictions would be referenced in his criminal trial.”