Calgary memorial service held for 3 family members killed in Texas highway crash
Sikh temple in Martindale hosted special ceremony Wednesday for victims of fatal U.S. crash
A special service to honour a Calgary grandmother, son and grandson killed in a head-on crash in Lubbock, Texas, was held Wednesday.
Nirmal Kaur Minhas, 68, her son, Upinderjit Minhas, 38, and his son, Meharpratap Singh Minhas, 6, were killed the morning of July 14 about 37 kilometres northwest of Amarillo. The minivan they were riding in collided head-on with a tractor-trailer.
The "very special" Sikh religious ceremony took place Wednesday afternoon at Dashmesh Cultural Centre in the northeast Calgary community of Martindale.
Harcharan Parhar, a relative, said the service was planned to take about an hour and then there would be food for everyone
The funeral service took place on the weekend in Texas because Upinderjit's wife, Jasleen Minhas, was too injured to travel back to Canada, Parhar said.
More than two dozen members of the family travelled to the United States in order to attend.
The grandmother, Nirmal, was pronounced dead at the scene while her son and grandson were taken to Northwest Texas Hospital in Amarillo, where they later died.
Jasleen Minhas and her eight-year-old daughter, Japuleen Minhas, were also taken to hospital suffering serious injuries.
Another daughter, Mekekdeep Minhas, 10, was airlifted to United Medical Centre in Lubbock. She was in serious but stable condition. Parhar said the girl suffered spinal injuries and likely will undergo several surgeries and spend up to six months in hospital.
Intelligent, happy father remembered
Pahar said he will remember Upinderjit Minhas as very intelligent and helpful.
Another relative, Avi Jaswal, has said the father was nicknamed "Happy" and that Nirmal was a "wonderful lady" and Mehar was "a cute kid" who adored his sisters.
The family was in Texas to visit Jasleen's parents in Houston, Pahar said.
"It's very hard to accept this," he said last week.
"I believe their plan was to fly over there. But then they decided instead of flying, why don't they go by van and then they can visit other places, because they had two weeks."
The truck driver, identified as a 57-year-old man from Amarillo, was taken to hospital in non-life-threatening condition.
A police spokesperson has said the weather was clear and the minivan the family were travelling in crossed the centre line.
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With files from Dan McGarvey and Dave Dormer.