Teen, three adults dead in collision involving pedestrians in northwest London

[MolsonExport]

Teen, three adults dead in collision involving pedestrians in northwest London

I live 3 minute walk from this intersection (Hyde Pk Rd, South Carriage Way). I almost got hit by a car twice in the past 6 months at this very spot where now 4 pedestrians have been killed.

This entire area has become a speeding zone, and every evening (except last night, as the road has been closed to traffic) you can hear the motorcycles racing with impunity. By day, people fly by in their pickup trucks (always pickup trucks) at 85km/hr or more.

There are no markings to indicate pedestrian crossings.

Maybe that wouldn't have made a difference or maybe it could have alerted the driver (who fled the scene).

[MolsonExport]

https://london.ctvnews.ca/three-adul...sted-1.5458887

[MolsonExport]

Several eyewitnesses believe that the collision was intentional. Truck was seen revving and driving up on the sidewalk in the absence of other cars in the vicinity. A woman was hurled 60 feet by the impact. Drove away at 100mph (as stated on reddit) and almost impacted other cars at Royal York Dr. and Hyde Park Rd. Driver of a black pickup truck (surprise, surprise) apprehended at Cherryhill Village mall. Apparently the guy was wearing a military-style helmet.

I live right nearby and I was at that intersection twice in the hour before this happened (jogging at 745pm, and on my way to the bank, driving, at 835pm...literally minutes before the collision took place).

I have a terrible suspicion that this will turn out to be another crazy right wing racist attack.

[haljackey]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

I have a terrible suspicion that this will turn out to be another crazy right wing racist attack.

Dammit, you appear to be right.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/londo...tody-1.6056238

https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/...-london-police

Seeing this story before the police briefing, I was saddened. I am mortified now.

[manny_santos]

Just sickening. I've been watching live coverage on CTV News Channel.

[manny_santos]

This is also currently the lead story on the BBC's home page.

[north 42]

How absolutely horrible and sad! Just shocking

[905er]

sickening that anyone would do this and that it was likely hate motivated..

That said, This is a skyscraperpage forum, I think we can keep the news to news channels.. There's enough depressing shit going on in this mad world that we don't have to bring it here.

[MolsonExport]

It is stuff like this that makes me hate all those that support or enable prejudiced voices in our society. Their words have impact, and serve to motivate horrific crimes like this.

[MolsonExport]

Originally Posted by 905er

sickening that anyone would do this and that it was likely hate motivated..

That said, This is a skyscraperpage forum, I think we can keep the news to news channels.. There's enough depressing shit going on in this mad world that we don't have to bring it here.

i live right next to where this happened. The people that were killed lived in my neighborhood. When I posted the story, the circumstances surrounding the incident were unknown. I had almost gotten hit by a car two months ago at that same intersection...which I cross every day, often 3 or more times per day.

[manny_santos]

I don't think there's ever been a mass killing larger than this in London's history. Before now I believe the largest one was the Czuba family in 2005, in which 3 members of the family were killed by a gunman (who himself committed suicide after).

A tragic day for London, no matter what.

[GeneralLeeTPHLS]

This is so awful...really quite unbelievable. Ignorance really goes a long way in making people ***holes.

[MolsonExport]

Last night, with my family and from most of the people living on my block (South Carriage Way) attended the impromptu vigil on the spot where the killings occurred (South Carriage Rd and Hyde Park Rd, site of the old Buck's farm). Several hundred people were on hand, laying flowers, and other objects. The media was also on hand. This continued until late in the evening, and is ongoing this morning.

I am incredibly saddened, shaken, and angered by this extreme act of hatred. I used to see this family almost every evening, out walking after dinnertime.

[TallerIsBetter]

Sickening. Love over hate.

[haljackey]

Originally Posted by 905er

That said, This is a skyscraperpage forum, I think we can keep the news to news channels.. There's enough depressing shit going on in this mad world that we don't have to bring it here.

As MolsonExport already alluded to, at the time this was posted (before the police briefing) it was thought to be an incredibly tragic accident.

The widened section of Hyde Park Road has turned into a drag strip. Straight, wide lanes with few intersections / businesses / driveways can cause drivers to unintentionally or intentionally speed. Some sections are only 50 km/h and yet can flow at 80 or more.

So at first this could have been an infrastructure issue which is related to this forum. You could say it is less related now but the event is so shocking I can see it warrant it's own thread. London has never experienced anything remotely close to this.

Heck, even 'the other London' made the headline of bbc.com's home page. I wish we were on it for a more positive reason...

-----

The Prime Minister will be in town tonight to pay his respects.

https://london.ctvnews.ca/trudeau-to...tack-1.5460739

[Blitz]

Just disgusting. Since you mentioned they went out walking every night I wonder if the nutjob took note of that and planned this out ahead of time. But then again he lives downtown and this neighbourhood is far from downtown. Or is this neighbourhood known for having a large Muslim community? Or was it a case where he was just driving along and he saw them and his demented brain told him to do this at the spur of the moment. Lots of questions here.

[manny_santos]

Originally Posted by Blitz

Just disgusting. Since you mentioned they went out walking every night I wonder if the nutjob took note of that and planned this out ahead of time. But then again he lives downtown and this neighbourhood is far from downtown. Or is this neighbourhood known for having a large Muslim community? Or was it a case where he was just driving along and he saw them and his demented brain told him to do this at the spur of the moment. Lots of questions here.

He worked part-time in Strathroy; it's possible this could have been along his route from work to home.

[Truenorth00]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

i live right next to where this happened. The people that were killed lived in my neighborhood. When I posted the story, the circumstances surrounding the incident were unknown. I had almost gotten hit by a car two months ago at that same intersection...which I cross every day, often 3 or more times per day.

Setting aside the terrorism aspect, why the heck do we build roads that even facilitate this kind of driving?

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[MolsonExport]

Dreambrother08 posted this in the Federal government thread. It deserves to be reposted. It should be read by all.

Originally Posted by dreambrother808

Jeff Bennett, the 2014 PC candidate for London West (where the attack occurred), posted this to his Facebook account:

"Boy are we happy to see YOU at our door this election"

"I can tell by looking at you that Jeff Bennett is a candidate I can support"

These are things people said to me when I was knocking on doors in London West as the PC Party Candidate in 2014. It happened many times. I would usually just thank them for their support and carry on. But it bothered me immensely. These people who'd never met me saw nothing special in me. They were happy only that my name was English and my skin was white.

The PC Party candidate in the election prior to me had been my friend Ali Chahbar. He had lost narrowly in a by-election only a year earlier. I remember thinking he'd win until I listened to a local talk radio show featuring callers concerned that Ali's wife (a prominent local lawyer) was too vocal in her support of "Palestinian Human Rights". As if that's a bad thing. The word "Sharia" was tossed around. I remember screaming at the racist idiots calling in while sitting in the parking lot of a London coffee shop.

I had volunteers on my campaign who told me they were happy to be able to contribute again. They "had tried to volunteer a year earlier but the campaign office felt like the Middle East". I should have asked them to leave. I did not. When my friend Ali came knocking on doors with me I was told to be selective which neighbourhood I chose to walk that day. I should have spoke up. Again, I excused it as a few off the cuff remarks from a few well intentioned folks. "They mean well. They just don't know any better."

Now I see people expressing shock that a racist terrorist would drive his truck into the pathway of a Muslim family going for a walk. "London is better than this" they say. "I can't believe this happened here". Bullshit. I knocked on thousands of doors in the very neighbourhood this atrocity occured. This terrorist may have been alone in that truck on that day, but he was not acting alone. He was raised in a racist city that pretends it isn't.

I drove past the scene yesterday. Families wept while they laid flowers. I cried. I knew that Ali Chahbar's former campaign office is only 1km up the road. I knew that everyone would say this was a "tragic" and "unthinkable" event and many would consider it an isolated incident. Condolences will pour in and people will demand the perpetrator face charges of terrorism. But this was neither "unthinkable" nor "isolated". Its a daily reality minorities in this country face and I'm upset I have not done more to combat it. I'm partially to blame. I've come face to face with Anti Muslim attitudes in London Ontario and said "thank you for your support". I'm so very sorry. I promise to do better.

It's not enough to fly flags at half mast and for politicians to send thoughts and prayers. We must take stock of the part we play. No more saying "Oh grandpa is not really racist. He was just raised differently". Well that "differently" is not okay. Canada has a racist, unacceptable history. It's time we call it out, own it and take action.

[Djeffery]

Noticed today that the memorial is under construction at the site of this tragedy. I wonder if there will be a ceremony of some kind at the site on the anniversary and if the memorial will be done by then.