BMW slices minivan in half
Mother, daughter and friend die at scene as father is rushed to hospital with critical injuries
By TAMARA CHERRY, SUN MEDIA
The Toronto Sun
Crews responding to a collision on Finch Ave. W. and Tobermory Dr. late Saturday found a van split in two by the impact of a speeding car. Three people — a wife, daughter and family friend — were killed in the crash. The driver of the second car faces charges of causing death and impairment. (Sun Media/Dave Abel)
TORONTO -- In a split second, a family was shattered, three people were killed and one young man's life was changed forever.
All this, police say, because of speed and booze on a North York street.
A husband, wife, daughter and two friends were in a 1997 Honda Odyssey van, heading home from a church outing around midnight along Finch Ave. on Saturday night.
As the van began turning left onto Tobermory Dr., a 1999 BMW 540 peaked over a hill just east of the intersection at speeds some Toronto Police officers estimated to be 200 km/h.
The BMW slammed into the van, literally tearing it into pieces. The mother and daughter were ejected from the van, along with a family friend.
'CAN'T IMAGINE'
All three were pronounced dead at the scene, their bodies scattered across about 30 metres of blood-stained pavement.
The husband, who was driving, and another friend were taken to hospital with critical injuries.
"I believe that he may survive his injuries," Staff-Sgt. Brian Bowman said of the man who lost both his wife and daughter. "I can't even imagine."
And the BMW driver, a 21-year-old man who was already known to traffic cops, was left with minor injuries -- so minor that he was taxied into the Traffic Services police station late yesterday afternoon.
Roman Luskin, the registered owner of the car, was charged with several counts of impaired driving causing death and causing bodily harm, criminal negligence causing death and causing bodily harm and refusing to provide a breath sample.
He was the only occupant of his car.
The van was registered to Pho Si Taing, believed to be the man behind the wheel. Media reports identified his daughter as Khan "Christine" Taing and his wife as Hon To.
After the bodies were removed and the injured taken to hospital, what was left was enough to make even seasoned traffic officers shake their heads: A van split in two pieces, debris scattered across the road.
"That is one of the most horrific impacts I've ever seen," Burrows said.
"We harp on people to make that right decision, no drinking and driving -- any amount of alcohol is not acceptable -- and at the same time, we also say the same thing about speeding," said Burrows, who described the mishap as "100% preventable."
As the accident scene was cleaned up, piece by piece, area residents gathered around the intersection, many with the same message.
"You'd think people would get the message by now, but I guess not," said Michael Donly, 25.
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