4 days ago
Three young girls saw reckless driver kill dad in car crash...now their mother has stage four breast cancer
Three young sisters' lives have been left devastated after witnessing a reckless driver kill their father in a horror car crash - all while their mother battles breast cancer.
Andrew Cristillo, 35, tragically died on August 3 after his car was allegedly hit head-on by Jaiwin Kirubananthan, 18, in Ontario, Canada.
Andrew was driving back from a family gathering around 9.30pm with his wife Christina and their three daughters, Leah, seven, Chloe, six and Ella, four.
The loving father and husband died instantly while Christina rushed to rescue their children, who were left crying in the back seat.
As she did so, Kirubananthan fled the scene. He was located soon after and taken into custody, according to the Ontario Provincial Police.
Kirubananthan has been charged with dangerous driving causing death, three counts of dangerous driving causing bodily harm, failing to remain at the scene of an accident resulting in death, and public mischief, according to court documents reviewed by City News Toronto.
Christina, who has been fighting stage four cancer, is now the sole provider and caregiver for their daughters.
Their family has banded together to be there for the now-single mother who is watching over their girls after they were left with injuries following the car wreck.
'This is something you read about and to have it happen to you is a nightmare. It doesn't even feel real,' Jordan Cristillo, Andrew's younger brother, told the outlet.
'The girls have been taking it day by day. One of the difficult parts of this is although my brother has been killed, we can't process that because we are so focused on making sure the girls are okay.'
Along with her health battle, Christina was also left injured from the car accident.
'She is the strongest person I've ever met and can only imagine the complete selflessness to ensure those three girls are cared for,' Jordan said of his sister-in-law.
The grieving brother is determined to get justice for Andrew while his wife and children recover from the unimaginable.
'How can you flee when you hear three little girls crying for help, crying for daddy who is not able to respond, crying for mommy who's kicking out the windshield to get out to pull her daughters out of this wreckage,' he said of Kirubananthan.
'This wasn't an accident. This was complete and utter negligence and recklessness. Justice means that this doesn't happen to other families, they don't need to experience this unbearable pain and loss.'
Christina echoed Jordan's stance, as the widow called for justice for her heartbroken family.
'This tragedy was not just an accident — it's the result of someone else's reckless actions. The other driver fled the scene and is under criminal investigation,' she wrote on a GoFundMe page.
'While justice is being pursued, our focus now is survival physically, emotionally, and financially.'
Andrew's wife and brother have remembered him as a loving person who was devoted to his family.
'My brother was the funniest person I ever met. He really pursued everything with 110 percent,' Jordan recalled.
'Various interest and he would always jump in with both feet and he loved to share his passion with others. He was always there for people too.'
Christina called Andrew her 'best friend and the love of my life.'
'Andrew had a wicked sense of humor and a way of lighting up every room he walked into — the life of the party, the friend everyone wanted by their side, the one who could make you smile even on your worst day,' she said.
'His greatest wish was for his family to be safe, happy, and cared for, and he worked tirelessly to give our daughters the best life and future he possibly could.'
As of Tuesday morning, more than $351,400 CAD ($255,090 USD), has been raised for the family during this difficult time.
Andrew worked as a site supervisor at Pro Caissons Ltd., a drilling contractor in the area.
Jordan said he believes his late brother 'is the reason why those three girls and Christina are able to live to see another day, it's because he saved them.'
This was not the first time Kirubananthan was involved in a car crash, as he collided with a Ontario Provincial Police vehicle carrying Premier Doug Ford in January.
Ford and other occupants in the vehicle were left unharmed.
Kirubananthan was charged with dangerous operation of a motor vehicle in connection to that crash, per court records obtained by City News Toronto.
He appeared at a bail hearing on Monday morning for the recent crash, CTV News reported.
