A 76-year-old woman is facing eight criminal negligence counts in connection with a horrific crash in west London, Ont., Nearly two months ago that left an eight-year-old girl dead and nine others injured, police said Friday.
Emergency crews responded to the scene along Riverside Drive, just west of Wonderland Road, around 6:45 pm on Nov. 30, 2021 for a collision involving multiple pedestrians who had been struck by a vehicle that had mounted the curb.
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Little girl killed in London, Ont. crash remembered as ‘brilliant and vivacious’
At the time, police said a 76-year-old woman had been driving westbound along Riverside Drive when she struck a vehicle that was waiting at a red light at Wonderland Road.
Riverside slopes downward toward Wonderland, however the exact cause of the crash has not been made public.
The vehicle then continued through the intersection, mounted a curb, struck a light post, struck a small tree and then struck the group of pedestrians who had been walking eastbound on the north side of Riverside, police said.
Alexandra Stemp, 8, was fatally injured in a crash in London, Ont., Nov. 30, 2021.
via GoFundMe
Among those struck were 10 female pedestrians ranging in age from six to 40 years old, hospitalized for injuries ranging from minor to life-threatening, police said. Girl Guides of Canada confirmed to Global News that its members were among those injured.
An eight-year-old girl who was critically injured in the crash, identified by family as Alexandra Stemp, later succumbed to her injuries.
On Friday, nearly two months after the crash, police announced criminal charges had been laid.
Petronella H. McNorgan of London faces one count of criminal negligence causing death and seven counts of criminal negligence causing bodily harm.
McNorgan was charged by way of summons and is expected to appear in court April 13, police said.
Global News has reached out to lawyer Phil Millar, who is representing McNorgan, for comment.
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In a statement released to Global News days after the crash, Stemp’s family described her as a “brilliant and vivacious little girl with a terrific sense of humor,” and “a talented artist who loved her older brother with all her heart.”
“Our family is devastated by the loss of Alexandra in such a tragic circumstance,” the statement continued.
“Our hearts go out to the Brownie leaders and to the other girls / parent volunteers who are still recovering from their injuries. There is no doubt that the emotional scars from the events of Tuesday night will take much longer to heal than any physical injuries sustained. ”
This story will be updated.
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