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A deadly June crash in Mapleton Township, Ont., that killed six people, including five children, is still under investigation, the OPP said.
On the night of June 12, an SUV and a van carrying eight members of the Doerksen family and two other people, Peter and Elizabeth Bartsch, collided at 4th Line and Wellington Rd. 12. Four of the children, Peter, 12, Sara, 8, Maggie, 6, and Susy, 4, died at the scene. Helena, 10, died in hospital. The SUV driver, a 42-year-old man from Brampton, died June 19 from injuries he suffered in the crash. The family claims he was at fault.
Parents Cornelius Doerksen Froese and Judit Doerksen , along with their 15-month-old son, were hospitalized with serious injuries. Eldest daughter Nancy said her mother suffered injuries to her liver, kidney, and gall bladder and broke her ribs and pelvic bone.
The crash sparked attention across the country. Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Prime Minister Mark Carney offered their condolences. A GoFundMe was set up by Nancy to help the family and has raised more than $366,000 and is now closed.
“ My family is living through a tragedy that no one should ever have to face,” Nancy wrote. “In a devastating accident, we lost five precious children who were deeply loved by all of us. The heartbreak and grief are beyond words, and our family is trying to navigate an unimaginable reality while supporting one another through this painful time.”
The family and the Bartsch couple were on their way home from a visit with church members who recently had a baby when the crash happened in rural Waterloo Region.
Looking for answers
The family wants to know the identity of the driver that it claims ran a stop sign and have hired a Windsor law firm to get some answers.
“Our clients had the right of way; they were on a road with no traffic controls. The driver that collided with them had a stop sign, failed to stop and collided with the rear of the passenger van that my clients were traveling in and unfortunately, that’s where the five siblings who were tragically killed were seated,” alleged Joanna Sweet, managing partner at Greg Monforton and Partners.
“Someone may know something or may have seen something and we want to know everything about the circumstances leading up to this collision so we’re hoping anyone with information will reach out.”
Despite online speculation, the firm says it has no information that the children were not properly secured in the passenger van.
While the OPP investigates, the law firm will be gathering its own information.
“The family had five children taken and our information is that the van was driving properly and in no way did the driver’s actions contribute to this collision in any way. It’s expensive to be injured. Survivors will need treatment down the road so a lawsuit is something they may need to consider,” Sweet said.
– with files from Michele Mandel