A 70-year-old man has admitted guilt to dangerous driving charges after his SUV crashed into a daycare center north of Toronto last year, resulting in the death of a toddler and injuries to several other children and staff members.
Vinay Kumar Gupta pleaded guilty in a Newmarket, Ont., court on Monday morning to one count of dangerous operation causing death and two counts of dangerous driving causing bodily harm.
Gupta was taken into custody at the scene in Richmond Hill, Ont., on Sept. 10, 2025, and later released on bail.
An agreed statement of facts presented in court indicated that Gupta arrived at the First Roots Early Education Academy parking lot with his wife in a grey SUV just before 3 p. m. that day to pick up his two grandchildren.
While trying to park, his vehicle unexpectedly moved up the raised concrete sidewalk and through an exterior window, crashing into the building and hitting multiple children and daycare staff across three classrooms before finally stopping, according to the statement.
“The vehicle travelled approximately 18.7 metres within five seconds,” court heard.
“It was calculated to be travelling at approximately 15 kilometres per hour through the first classroom, 14 kilometres per hour through the second classroom, and 11 kilometres per hour through the third classroom.”
The car struck eight children and one staff member in the first room, another eight children in the second room, then hit eight more children and two staff members in the last room, as detailed in court.
The boy who died was just one-and-a-half years old. Another child sustained life-changing injuries while another suffered broken bones and head injuries. Three adult staff members at the daycare were also injured.
Driver Thought He Was Using Brakes: Statement
CCTV footage showed there was no evidence of braking since the car’s rear brake lights never illuminated, according to the statement.
The vehicle was nearly brand new with only 2,555 kilometres on its odometer, it noted.
“Given that fact, and that it is also an electric vehicle, the driver may not have been fully familiar with all its functionalities,” said the statement.
In a police statement, Gupta claimed he had been attempting to stop the SUV before it crashed into the building and believed he was pressing down on the brake pedal but that it wasn’t responding as expected; court heard.
Instead, according to statements made during proceedings, Gupta had been pressing on the gas pedal which caused the SUV to accelerate over curbside and into structure. .. A collision reconstruction report concluded operator error caused this incident; this was mentioned in court documentation...Source link
A sentencing hearing for Gupta is set for Dec. 8.
