Brampton Man Dies After Ontario Crash That Took Lives of 5 Children

A 42-year-old man from Brampton has died from injuries sustained in a collision that killed five children in Mapleton, Ont., last week, bringing the death toll to six, the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) said.

The man was the driver and only occupant of an SUV that collided with a van at the intersection of 4th Line and Wellington Road 12 in Mapleton Township at approximately 7:30 p.m. on June 12, Wellington County OPP Constable Burton said in a post on X.

“Several individuals were transported to various local hospitals with serious injuries, alongside three patients being transported via air ambulance to various trauma centers,” he said.

The accident resulted in the closure of the intersection in all directions for several hours while the OPP Traffic Incident Management Enforcement team and the Wellington County OPP conducted an investigation.

Police asked anyone who witnessed the collision, has dashcam footage of the incident, or has other information to contact Wellington County OPP.

Five children aged 4 to 12 who were passengers in the van—all siblings of the Doerksen family—died in the accident, police said. Five other passengers in the van, an infant and four adults, were sent to hospital with serious injuries.

A funeral for the five children—Peter, 12, Helena, 10, Sara, 8, Maggie, 6, and Susy, 4—was held on Saturday afternoon.

Nancy Doerksen, who was not in the van at the time of the accident, has started a GoFundMe page for her family.

“As we mourn the loss of these beautiful children, our family is also facing a long road ahead,” she wrote.

“Our mom remains in the hospital suffering from multiple injuries, including injuries to her kidney, liver, gallbladder, broken ribs and pelvic bone, along with extensive bruising and trauma. At this time, we are unsure how long her recovery will take.”

The fundraiser, intended to help the family with funeral expenses, travel costs, lost income, and “the many unexpected needs that come with such a tragic loss,” had raised nearly $350,000 of the goal of $450,000 as of press time.

In an update posted to the fundraiser page on June 15, Nancy Doerksen wrote that her youngest brother, who was the infant survivor of the accident, had been released from the hospital and that his injuries were limited to a broken leg.

In a post to Facebook on June 14, Prime Minister Mark Carney expressed his condolences to the family.

“My thoughts are with the family and their loved ones as they face this horrific tragedy, and with the people of Elmira and Mapleton. I offer my sincere thanks to the first responders for their swift action and support of those who were injured,” he wrote.

Police have not yet confirmed the cause of the accident.