Driver charged in Richmond Hill daycare crash that killed toddler, injured other children

York Regional Police have charged a driver whose vehicle crashed into a Richmond Hill daycare on Wednesday afternoon, killing a toddler and injuring other children.

Police in York Region said the vehicle went into the building in the Yonge Street and Nottingham Drive area around 3 p.m. on Sept. 10.

Eyewitnesses tell CityNews the vehicle drove from the parking lot into the window of one of the learning spaces of the First Roots Early Education Academy.

Seven children, along with three staff members, were taken to the hospital, where an 18-month-old toddler was pronounced dead. Two children are still in critical condition. All others suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

Police said at the time of the crash, there were 96 children present in more than one room in the building. All children have been accounted for, and parents have been notified. 

A 70-year-old man was taken into custody at the scene. He has been charged with dangerous operation causing death and dangerous operation causing bodily harm.

Investigators continue to investigate and say more charges could be laid.

Police later confirmed that the driver has been released on bail. They are not sharing the name of the suspect “to protect any victims or witnesses involved in this incident.”

Investigators have said the incident does not appear to be a deliberate act.

“As you can imagine, this was a very chaotic scene,” said Const. Kevin Nebrija. “The initial information suggests the vehicle was in the parking lot at the time and, for reasons unknown, drove through the front of the window.”

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Steven, whose 19-month-old daughter was among the injured, tells CityNews he was shocked to receive a text from the daycare about the incident.

“She’s currently in the hospital. I could see blood all over her left ear and her clothes. I’m just trying to get her some cookies and some clothes, her favourite blankets, so I’m just driving back to the hospital right now,” he said.

Memorial grows outside daycare

On Thursday morning, the large window was boarded up with plywood and other pieces of lumber. 

Just beneath it, a collection of stuffed animals sat facing the parking lot. Residents had also dropped off bouquets of flowers, a mini basketball and a candle. 

A sign that read “please slow down” remained mounted on the wall next to the crash site.

The daycare released a statement on Thursday, saying they are still in a state of shock after yesterday’s events.

“We are devastated and still processing what happened, but our foremost and only priority is supporting our families and staff members,” read the statement posted to the First Roots’ Instagram account. “We ask that our community be given privacy to grieve and recover in this unimaginably difficult time.”

Emirson Bekirovski was at work when he got a message from the daycare about an emergency that required him to pick up his four-year-old daughter.

“My wife came and she was pretty traumatized to see all the helicopters and the police cars,” Bekirovski said, adding that parents did not get much information as to what was happening other than instructions to bring their kids home.

“We’re obviously very happy that our daughter’s with us and safe, but obviously we’re pretty traumatized at the fact this happened so close to home,” he said.

Ruth Brainis, a local resident and mother of two small children, said she was “devastated” and sick to her stomach when she heard of the crash. 

Brainis attended the site on Thursday morning to lay flowers and pay her respects to the affected families.

“When it’s children, it hits really hard,” she said. “I can’t imagine the suffering these poor parents are going through. I don’t wish it on anybody.”

Hava Jouharchi has been a resident of Richmond Hill for more than 25 years and said she didn’t know what to think when she heard about the crash at the daycare her children once attended.

“My son was just passing by here like 10 minutes before it happened, and so that’s how I found out,” Jouharchi said.

“We don’t have anything like this happen and I was just shocked.”

Residents continued to stop by throughout the day to bring flowers and stuffed animals. Some of them brought their children. One father carried his young daughter as her mother laid down a bouquet.

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Neighbours were left reeling on Wednesday night in the aftermath of the crash.

Farrokh Zandi, who lives across from the daycare, said he went outside after seeing the news of what happened on his computer.

“I just came out to see these police cars and then I was listening to the news while I was watching what was happening out in front (of me),” he said, adding it was “very tragic.”

Zandi said he thinks of the area as safe, and it was “very scary” to see that something like this could happen. 

“I am sure these parents must be going through hell,” he added.

Faati Tabatabaei said one of the children from the daycare came with their parents to pick up a sibling from the nearby after-school program where she works.

She said the child had a scratch and looked scared.

“I am scared too, because I don’t know what happened exactly, and it is like, you don’t feel safe,” she said.

Richmond Hill Mayor David West visited the crash site and called the incident “unimaginable.”

“It is hard to get your head around a tragedy like this,” he said. “It was shocking.”

West said he will speak with the family of the victim when the time is right.

“This is the worst day I have ever had in this position as mayor, for sure, it was a very tragic and horrible day here in our city.”

York Regional Police Chief Jim MacSween said in a post online that “no family should have to deal with a tragedy like this.”

MacSween said police will “continue to investigate this incident and provide support to the victims and to the responding officers.”

Ontario Education Minister Paul Calandra said in a separate post that he was “deeply concerned by the tragic incident” and that his thoughts were with everyone affected.

Files from The Canadian Press were used in this report.