A rally was held at Queen’s Park in Toronto on Sunday calling for stronger penalties for serious driving offences after the death of a Caledon mother and her three young daughters in June.
The rally was organized by Jillian McLeod, who started a petition after the death of Karolina Ciasullo in Brampton on June 18.
Ciasullo and her children — six-year-old Klara, three-year-old Lilianna and one-year-old Mila — all died in a crash at the intersection of Torbram Road and Countryside Drive.
Peel police said that the Ciasullo family was travelling north on Tobram Road and the accused was travelling eastbound on Countryside Drive “at a very high rate of speed” when the collision happened.
Brady Robertson has been charged with four counts of dangerous operation causing death in connection with the crash under Section 320.13 (3) of the criminal code. The maximum sentence is life in prison. Robertson was also charged with a count of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle.
Court documents obtained by Global News showed that Robertson had prior convictions for driving while suspended, careless driving and driving without a licence.
McLeod said she personally has lost several friends in car crashes and after the Ciasullo family deaths, she wanted to see change.
The petition has since gained nearly 83,000 signatures as of Sunday afternoon.
“We hope to get our petition presented to the federal government,” McLeod said.
She said she wants to see stiffer penalties for offences involving impaired driving and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle.
“We want stunt driving and street racing added as criminal offences. Right now unless they cause injury or death they’re only ticketable offences,” McLeod added.
The petition is also calling for parole eligibility for serious offences to be changed from one-third of the time served to three-quarters.
“People are hurting. People have been affected. They’ve had their families ripped away from them for no reason and it has to stop,” McLeod said.
Meanwhile, the accused in the Ciasullo family case will have a bail hearing beginning this Thursday. It’s expected to last two days.
— With files from Nick Westoll and Catherine McDonald
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