Driver faces 9 charges after family hit on sidewalk, father killed
Man killed, woman and infant girl injured in Sunday crash in Bowmanville, police say
A driver is facing multiple charges after he allegedly crashed into another vehicle before hitting a family on the sidewalk, killing a man and injuring a woman and infant girl in Bowmanville on Sunday, police say.
The collision happened in a residential area along Simpson Avenue shortly after 8:30 p.m., Durham police said.
The 22-year-old accused was going south in a grey sedan when he hit an SUV heading in the same direction, according to police. He then lost control of the sedan and jumped a curb, slamming into the three pedestrians, police said.
Of the three people injured, the father was taken to a trauma centre in Toronto, where he died. He was 31 years old, Durham police Insp. Chris Ludlow told media in an interview Monday.
An online fundraiser identified the victim as Spencer McCraken, calling him a "beloved husband, father, brother, uncle and friend."
The mother, 30, went to hospital with serious injuries, while the infant girl was taken to the same hospital with non-life threatening injuries, Ludlow said.
A female passenger in the SUV also had minor injuries, he said.
'It's a horrible scene'
Home security video obtained by CBC Toronto captured the collision between the two vehicles and the aftermath of the crash. The SUV seems to be braking gradually to a stop, when the sedan — which appears to be travelling at a high speed — slams into it from behind before veering hard to the left through the oncoming lane of traffic, over the curb and out of view of the camera.
Moments later various voices can be heard off-camera screaming. One woman repeatedly yells "where's the baby?" as a group of people rush to the area of the crash.
"It's a horrible scene. This happened at 8:30 p.m., still daylight. There were many people out in the community, walking. There were many witnesses. People tried to render aid best they could to those who were injured," Ludlow said.
"It's a tragedy for the community. People are scared, and I think people are frustrated too because how long have we been talking about impaired driving and it's still going on today?"
Speeding common on the street, neighbour says
Katie McNeill, a resident on the street, was on her front porch watching a neighbour train their puppy when she witnessed the crash. McNeill said the SUV was stopping because a number of pedestrians were preparing to cross the road in a recently installed crosswalk up ahead.
McNeill said she has five children ranging in age from four to 13. They often play outside with other kids from the neighbourhood, she said.
"We're always out here. My neighbour has two kids, and they ride their bikes up and down the street. It could have been us, could have been anybody. Now I'm actually afraid to even let them come out front and play," she said.
Drivers often speed in the area, McNeill said, and the crosswalk doesn't seem to be slowing them down.
"People are always flying down this street, it's scary."
Theresa-Anne Kramer, a director of Mothers Against Drunk Driving in Quebec, said incidents like the collision should never happen considering everything that society knows about impaired driving.
"How can it still be happening? How can it still be going on?" she said.
The accused, who is from Clarington, was charged with:
- Impaired operation of a motor vehicle causing death.
- Three counts of impaired operation of a motor vehicle causing bodily harm.
- Dangerous driving causing death.
- Three counts of dangerous driving causing bodily harm.
- Operation of a motor vehicle without insurance.
He was held for a bail hearing, Ludlow said.
Anyone with information or relevant dashcam video is asked to contact Durham police or leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers.