Sightseeing trip to Moncton turned to tragedy for 5 young men from India

A day of sightseeing in Moncton for five young men from India ended in tragedy Sunday, with three of them dead and the driver facing possible charges.

One of the victims had just arrived in Saint John a few days prior and was about to begin his first year at the local campus of the New Brunswick Community College, according to Amit Tamrakar, president of the Indo-Canadian Society of Saint John.

The other two victims were entering their second year of engineering at NBCC Saint John, as was the fourth passenger, who survived, said Tamrakar.

The 28-year-old driver works at the University of New Brunswick in Saint John on a permanent resident permit, he said.

They had just visited Magnetic Hill and were on their way to Parlee Beach around 5:45 p.m. when the crash occurred on a windy stretch of Highway 2 eastbound, between the Caledonia and Shediac Road exits.

"Somehow the GPS took them to the freeway," said Tamrakar, who learned of the fatal crash through a WhatsApp group chat.

He travelled to Moncton on Monday to offer support to the two survivors and assistance to authorities in contacting next of kin and arranging for the three victims to be repatriated.

Their Subaru Outback left the road, rolled and ended up in the median, said RCMP.

The three passengers riding in the backseat — two of them aged 24 and the other 29 — were all ejected from the vehicle. Two of them died at the scene, while the third died later in hospital.

RCMP say the preliminary investigation indicates speed may have been a factor and the driver is facing three counts of dangerous driving causing death. He was released on a promise to appear in Moncton provincial court on Dec. 13.

No names have been released, but Tamrakar said members of the Indo-Canadian community across the province have pulled together to do whatever they can to help.

'Could barely speak'

Atul Sancheti, president of the Indo-Canada Association of the Greater Moncton Area, said he rushed to the hospital Sunday night after being notified by Tamrakar and welcomed the 25-year-old passenger who had survived into his home.

"He was released from the hospital and didn't have any place to go and he was still in shock," said Sancheti.

The young man, who was visibly "shaken up" and in pain from undisclosed injuries, barely slept, he said. But he had the support of his roommate, who travelled from Saint John to be with him, and his brother-in-law flew in from Toronto on Monday.

Tamrakar said the man was still "devastated" at that time and "could barely speak."

The president of the Association of Indo-Canadians Fredericton drove the young man and his brother-in-law to Saint John.

Tamrakar transported the driver after he was treated in hospital for a dislocated shoulder and released from police custody.

The drive back to Saint John was "very quiet," said Tamrakar."We were all so sad."

He said he did his best to console the driver. He seemed "OK," but Tamrakar arranged for another member of the society to check in on him later.

Repatriation process started

Sancheti, who has been in contact with the victims' families in India, said they are grieving the tragic loss. He has been working with the funeral home to ensure all the required paperwork is sent to the Indian consulate in Toronto, which is arranging for repatriation.

RCMP Sgt. Patrick Tardif said the three autopsies have been completed and he doesn't expect any delays in getting the bodies home to their families.

The investigation into the crash, which closed a section of the highway for more than 12 hours, is ongoing. Tardif said it could take another few weeks to complete the interviews with witnesses and review the accident reconstructionist's report.

Anyone with information about the crash or who may have seen the vehicle, a 2018 silver coloured four-door Subaru Outback with New Brunswick licence NDZ 829, travelling on the highway prior to the crash is asked to contact Southeast District RCMP at 506-387-2222.

NBCC officials declined an interview Tuesday.

"At this time, our thoughts are with the families and friends of those who lost their lives in this tragic accident," said spokesperson Tanya Greer.