Editor’s note: This is an updated version of the previous story with more details on the ongoing investigation.
Gregory Nathan Girgis had finished work and was walking to the gym just before midnight on Canada Day, when he was struck by a Jeep Grand Cherokee.
Girgis, 26, sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced dead on the scene, at University Avenue and Wellington Street, where seven others were injured.
Police have arrested Nitan Thakur, the driver of the Jeep, which allegedly collided with two other cars and another pedestrian.
Twenty-six-year-old Thakur went through a red light at the intersection, according to police.
“My son died, Gregory died, he was taken away from all of us… I’m more than heartbroken,” said Avril Higginson, Girgis’ mother.
“He was very much liked by his friends, he was a sincere person and (he) would help anybody,” Atef Girgis, Gregory’s father, told Global News.
Girgis’ youngest son, Victor, returned home from work in the early hours of Saturday morning to find Toronto police officers waiting on the doorstep. “I haven’t slept since,” his mother said.
- Trucker’s body found in trailer in Newfoundland after failed police search in Ontario
- S&P/TSX composite down as shares of Shopify tumble, U.S. stock markets mixed
- Ontario man on trial for killing his mother takes the stand: ‘I lost it’
- Person tries to get into Drake’s Toronto property as shooting investigation continues
“I couldn’t believe it,” his father said. “We’re going to miss him.”
Around 100 people stopped by the scene of the crash, where Girgis’ family shed tears and told stories about the person they lost. They remembered him as a kind, hardworking and adventurous young man.
The scene of Friday night’s accident has been transformed with flowers and a memorial was set up Saturday.
“His soul is a very fun-loving soul; he loved to travel,” Girgis’ older sister, Sarra Munoz, said. “I’d pave the way and then he’d follow behind me on my world travels but then superseded me and travelled to many more countries than I did — a globetrotter at heart.”
Thakur, the driver, is scheduled to appear in court Saturday. He faces six charges, including impaired operation causing death, dangerous driving causing death and impaired operation causing bodily harm.
Members of Traffic Services are investigating the matter. Police have asked local residents, businesses, and drivers, who may have access to security or dash camera footage of the area or incident, to contact investigators.
Comments