Three international students killed in a highway crash in Toronto last week have been identified by the Consulate General of Bangladesh.
Police have said a car travelling at extremely high speeds on Highway 427 flew over a concrete ramp, landed in a ditch and then hit another concrete wall before it burst into flames late Monday night.
Ontario Provincial Police have said four international students from Bangladesh, who were living in Toronto, were pulled from the car.
A 20-year-old man and 17-year-old boy who were sitting in the back seats were pronounced dead on the highway and a 20-year-old woman sitting in the front passenger seat died after being taken to hospital, police said.
The three students who died were Arian Alam Dipto, Shahriar Mahir Khan and Angela Shreya Baroi, said Consul General Lutfor Rahman.
Rahman said the 21-year-old driver, Nibir Kumar, is the son of popular Bangladeshi singer Kumar Bishwajit and remains in a Toronto hospital in critical condition.
“The Consulate General expressed sincere condolences to the bereaved family members of the deceased and pray for their eternal peace and for quick recovery of the injured one,” Rahman wrote in a statement.
Rizwan Ibn Ahmed, who identified himself as a friend of Dipto, said he loved food, video games and hanging out with his close friends and family. Dipto had “a very friendly personality, cheering and joyful,” and dreamed of studying outside Bangladesh, he said.
Ayeman Rashid, who identified himself on Facebook as a close friend of Khan, said he was “a very humble guy with manners for everyone.”
Khan’s family previously told CBC Toronto he moved to Toronto from Bangladesh last month. The 17-year-old was a George Brown College Student.
A service for Dipto and Khan is set to be held Monday in the city’s east end.
Baroi remembered as a ‘selfless’ and ‘vibrant’ person
Baroi’s family is holding a viewing for her in Toronto Sunday evening. A second-year business student at York University, her aunt Mila Dhaki told CBC Toronto last week that Baroi came to Canada in 2020.
Her goal was to be an accountant to take over her family’s garment business back home in Bangladesh.
She was in the front passenger seat and was pulled from the burning wreck alive before she died in hospital.
At her viewing, Nick Sarkar said his dad introduced him to Baroi after she came to Toronto. He recalled showing her around the city, remembering her as a “selfless” person who was “very loving” to her parents especially.
He said he feels sad, confused and still in disbelief over her death, adding it isn’t easy grieving someone who died so young.
“If you always had a problem, she would always be there to help you out. She never asked for anything in return,” he said.
Shaolin Ahmed, 19, grew up with Baroi in Bangladesh. They reconnected in Canada as young adults pursuing higher education in the country.
“It’s my regret that I only met her once after I came,” said Ahmed.
Ahmed recalls her favourite memory of her in grade school. During a school dance, Baroi dragged her out of her chair and to the dance floor. She was always trying to include everyone, Ahmed said.
“She was just someone that was very vibrant. She was someone you couldn’t miss because when she was in the room, she would like to fill the room with her presence.”
The victims’ families are working to have their bodies repatriated to Bangladesh after the memorial services, Rahman said in an interview.
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