Victims In Richmond Hill Crash Identified As Best Friends
Posted November 2, 2008 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The victims of a fiery crash that killed two Friday in Richmond Hill have been identified.
Atena Arabsalmany and Niloufar Khanverdizadeh, both students at York University, died late Friday night.
They were inside a southbound black Mazda 3 when it reportedly crossed the centre lanes, hit a northbound Jeep, and burst into flames. It happened on Bayview Avenue, just north of 16th Avenue around 10:30pm.
Other motorists and emergency crews rushed to the aid of the three women in the car, pulling two of them from the blaze, but it was too late for Arabsalmany, 21, and Khanverdizadeh. The two had been best friends since high school.
A Facebook page has been set up with tributes from the young victims’ family and friends.
On Sunday, Atena’s mother, Azam Arabsalmany, remembered her daughter as an ambitious, adventurous girl who dreamt of one day reaching space.
“When she was two years old she told me, ‘I want to go to space,'” the grief-stricken parent recalled. “I said, ‘Okay, I’ll take you to Canada.'”
The family arrived in the country when Atena was 14. She went on to study aerospace at York, with dreams of becoming an astronaut.
It’s a dream she’ll never fulfill and the sudden nature of her death has left her mother with an empty wish of her own.
“I want to see her, and I want to say bye to my daughter,” Azam Arabsalmany added. “I want to kiss her.”
Meanwhile, the driver of the Mazda remains in hospital. She was last listed in critical condition, but according to at least one friend is improving.
“We had a phone call with her family and they told us that she’s alive,” confirmed Arian Anvari. “She’s up, she’s able to talk but she’s injured really badly.”
None of the passengers inside the Jeep were seriously hurt.
Along with five officers from York Regional Police, two Good Samaritans who were injured in the rescue were taken to York Central Hospital, treated and released. Their injuries included smoke inhalation and minor burns.
Police are still looking for witnesses to come forward, especially the passengers of a gold-coloured Toyota Corolla who allegedly stopped to help.
Officials also continue to work in order to determine whether alcohol or speed were factors in the devastating crash.
If you saw anything, call York Regional Police at 905-773-1221.
