Cremation ceremony held for grandparents
Two dozen gather to mourn Indian couple
A cremation ceremony was held Monday for a couple from India who were killed, along with their infant grandchild, in a collision that followed a police pursuit of a robbery suspect going the wrong way on Highway 401.
About two dozen people gathered at Forest Lawn Mausoleum and Cremation Centre in North York to pay their respects to Manivannan Srinivasapillai, 60, and Mahalakshmi Ananthakrishnan, 55, who had travelled from Chennai, India, to visit their grandson in Canada just two days before the April 29 crash.
The event lasted about half an hour, with mourners spilling into the parking lot to console one another and say their goodbyes.
The couple and their grandson, Aditya Vivaan, were identified Sunday as three of the four victims killed in the six-vehicle crash following a pursuit by Durham Regional Police that is now being reviewed by Ontario’s police watchdog.
The boy’s parents, Gokulnath Manivannan, 33, and his wife, Ashwitha Jawahar, 27, survived the crash.
“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,” Manivannan wrote in a statement released Sunday.
He said his father had recently retired and was “overjoyed” at the chance to spend time with his grandson, calling it the “year of grandparents fun.”
His mother had been “eagerly anticipating every moment with her son and grandson.”
The 21-year-old U-Haul van driver, who was being chased by police after a robbery at a liquor store, also died in the crash. The 38-year-old passenger was seriously injured.
In the wake of the crash, a spotlight has been cast on the police decision to pursue the suspect vehicle the wrong way down Highway 401.
The Special Investigations Unit (SIU), which probes all incidents involving police that result in serious injury or death, has identified two subject officers and four witness officers for its investigation. It has assigned seven investigators, one forensic investigator and one collision-reconstruction expert to the case.
“At this time, investigators continue to gather evidence, analyze video footage and conduct interviews,” a spokesperson said in an email Monday.
The 20-minute police pursuit unfolded after a robbery at an LCBO in Bowmanville. In one recording of the call that night, an unidentified OPP officer said at least six Durham police vehicles were going the wrong way on the 401.
“The aftermath has left an indelible mark on our lives, with profound grief,” Manivannan said.
A funeral service and cremation for three-month-old Vivaan will be held later this week.