A young woman from St. Catharines, aged 19, is facing legal charges following a fatal accident on Highway 406 in St. Catharines, Ontario that claimed the life of an 18-year-old woman from Thorold. The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) announced on Tuesday that the driver involved in the crash on December 3 has been charged with dangerous operation of a motor vehicle resulting in death, as well as dangerous operation causing bodily harm.
According to the OPP statement released on Tuesday, the tragic incident occurred near Third Avenue, where the 18-year-old victim was ejected from the vehicle during the crash. This incident aligns with the details of the crash that led to the death of Alina Masud, an 18-year-old from Thorold, who was ejected from the vehicle she was a passenger in. CBC News was informed by the OPP that there was only one fatal crash reported on Highway 406 on December 3.
The 18-year-old victim passed away at the crash site, while the 19-year-old driver and a 20-year-old female passenger from Welland sustained minor injuries and were taken to the hospital, as per the OPP report. The accident occurred when the vehicle, traveling southbound on Highway 406, lost control and rolled into the center ditch at 8:20 p.m., as stated by the OPP.
The driver has been released from custody and is slated to appear at the St. Catharines courthouse on October 19, according to the OPP. Subsequent to Masud’s death, a dispute arose at Thorold city hall when her family was informed just before her scheduled burial at a Thorold cemetery that the city would not permit the burial to proceed as planned.
The family was notified that a city bylaw clause prohibited the burial in a section of the cemetery considered unopened until other areas were filled. Despite an alternate plot being offered, the family opted to lay her to rest in Niagara Falls instead. The city later issued an online apology, acknowledging that the grave was mistakenly sold in the unopened area, but city policy prevented the family from burying their loved one where they desired.
The ensuing controversy led to allegations of racism, unsettling some city officials. At a city council meeting on June 2, where city politicians adjusted the cemetery policy to allow burial plots facing the holy city of Mecca as per Muslim faith requirements, Coun. Nella Dekker mentioned receiving inappropriate threats, both verbally and on social media. Coun. Henry D’Angela also shared his experience of being accused of racism amid the situation.
The council eventually agreed to accommodate Mecca-facing burial plots within an existing section of the cemetery where non-Muslims are also interred. During the meeting, Imam Asad Mahmood of Mosque Aisha in Thorold expressed that the city’s actions did not adequately address the needs of the Muslim community, suggesting the city should open up a section of the cemetery land for a dedicated Muslim burial area.
In response to the backlash following the incident in December, the city engaged a consulting firm to conduct an independent review of options for accommodating Muslim burial practices at the cemetery. Consultant Amanda Gebhardt presented city officials with various alternatives during the June 2 meeting, emphasizing the importance of cemeteries being inclusive, non-discriminatory, and responsive to community needs as mandated by provincial law, the Ontario Human Rights Code, and the Bereavement Authority of Ontario.
