Indian consulate general IDs grandparents killed in 401 crash

The Indian Consulate General has identified grandparents who died in a crash with their grandchildfollowing a police chase of a robbery suspect who went the wrong way on Highway 401 earlier this week.

"Heartfelt condolences on tragic loss of Indian nationals Mr. Manivannan, Mrs. Mahalakshmi andtheir grandchild in the Highway 401 collision," the consulate general wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter, on Friday evening.

The consulate general said officials met surviving family members at the hospital and assured them they will assist them in every possible way.

"We are in touch with Canadian authorities," the consulate general said.

The crash, whichkilled four people and seriously injured two people, happened in in Whitby, about 50 kilometres east of Toronto, onMonday night.

According to Ontario's Special Investigations Unit (SIU), the grandparents a 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman were visiting from India. They and theirgrandson, three months, all died at the scene.

The infant's parents, a 33-year-old father and 27-year-old mother, were also injured in the crash, the SIU said. The parents, who are residents of Ajax, Ont., were in the same car as the grandparents and the baby, according to the SIU.

The collision followed apolice chase that began with an alleged liquor store robbery inBowmanville, Ont., in the regional municipality of Clarington. Police pursued the suspectas he drovethe wrong way on Highway 401.

That chase ended in a fatal collision that involved at least six vehicles, according to the SIU. The robbery suspect was also killed.