Victims identified in fatal crash, alleged impaired driver denied bail

Two Centennial College students killed when they were struck by an alleged impaired driver have been identified. A third student remains in hospital with serious injuries.

Police were called to the intersection of Markham Road and Progress Avenue at around 6:30 p.m. on Sunday.

When officers arrived, police said they found three pedestrians had been hit by a vehicle.

Two of the men, both 19, had life-threatening injuries and later died in hospital. A third man, aged 21, was taken to hospital with serious but not life-threatening injuries.

Two of the pedestrians are brothers — the 21-year-old in hospital and one of the 19-year-old men killed.

The victims have been identified as Damir Kussain and Wei Jie Zhu-Li by Centennial College. Jun Ji Zhu-Li is the third victim who remains in hospital. All three were international students.

“It is with deep sadness and heavy hearts that we must inform our Centennial College community of a tragic single-vehicle collision near Progress Campus last night that resulted in the deaths of two of our students and serious injury to another,” the college said in a statement.

Police said the three students were returning to campus after getting some food.

Police said the 40-year-old driver was heading east on Progress and through the intersection at a high rate of speed when he lost control of the vehicle, mounted the sidewalk, struck a guardrail and then hit the three pedestrians.

Michael Johnson, from Pickering, was arrested at the scene and is facing nine impaired driving related charges including two counts of impaired driving causing death.

Johnson was denied bail during a court appearance.

His father outside the courthouse said “I’m sorry, we’re sorry,” when asked if he had anything to say to the families of the two boys who were killed.

CORRECTION: A previous version of this story stated the man with serious, but non-life-threatening injuries was 20 years old. He is 21 years old.