Passenger in 401 wrong-way crash banned from Vaughan LCBO was in van

A Mississauga man, Manpreet Gill, suspected of being the passenger in a cargo van involved in a deadly wrong-way crash on Highway 401 last month, has a troubling history according to court records. Gill had been barred from a Vaughan LCBO outlet after allegedly stealing up to $5,000 in merchandise.

The crash on April 29 resulted in the tragic deaths of three-month-old Aditya Vivaan and his grandparents, who were visiting from Chennai, India. The driver of the cargo van, which was being pursued by Durham police, also died in the crash. Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit has stated that the cargo van passenger, believed to be Gill, was seriously injured and taken to the hospital.

Court records from Newmarket show that Gill was charged on Feb. 17 with stealing merchandise from the Vaughan LCBO outlet, as well as possession of stolen property and breach of probation. A release order signed the same day banned Gill from attending the store.

Despite attempts to reach out to Gill’s surety and lawyers for updates on his condition, there has been no response. Gill’s lawyer, John Christie, has not provided any new information on his client’s situation.

The driver of the cargo van, Gagandeep Singh, was also facing criminal charges and was under a court order not to drive. The pursuit that led to the crash reportedly began after an LCBO robbery in Clarington, with at least 20 police vehicles involved in the chase. Video footage reviewed by CBC News showed seven police vehicles going in the opposite direction of traffic on the highway during the pursuit.