Four Indo-Canadians killed in tragic Toronto crash

While their names have not been released, Indo-Canadian community members identified the victims as Digvijay Patel, Jay Sisodia and siblings, Keta and Nil Gohil.

According to a release issued by Toronto Police, on Friday, officers responded to a traffic mishap call soon after midnight, on Thursday. The accident occurred near the Lakeshore Boulevard in the city.

The victims were travelling in a Tesla EV. According to the release, the Tesla lost control and struck the guard rail and then a concrete pillar and subsequently, “became engulfed in flames.”

The fire claimed the four lives while a fifth passenger, an unidentified female, was rescued by passersby and taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Four persons “were pronounced deceased at the scene”, the release stated. The victims were all in their 20s and early 30s.

Police are asking local residents and drivers who may have dash camera footage or witnessed the event to contact investigators.

Among those in the vicinity was a Canada Post employee who was en route to the town of Mississauga when he witnessed the flames. Rick Harper told the outlet CTV News Toronto that he saw “five to six feet of flames above the front hood of the car.”

Harper played a role in rescuing the passenger who survived. Even as others near the accident site rushed to help, they were unable to break the windows of the vehicle.

He took a bar from the truck he was driving, and with the assistance of another person, managed to take a window out. “And then (it) was good to see the young lady come out headfirst out of the window,” he recounted to the outlet.

The cause of the fire is being investigated.