‘Hold your loved ones tight’: family of QEW crash victims cope with loss

The family of a Hamilton couple killed in a collision with a drunk driver on the QEW Sunday say they are just beginning to cope with such a drastic loss.

Jonathan Lopez, 34, and April Rose Viernes, 33, were newly weds married in a civil ceremony this past January and were looking forward to a destination wedding in Punta Cana in February of next year.

They had just recently moved into a home in Hamilton.

“You could see how excited he was to fix everything, organize it and he said this is where I am going to have my friends over, this is where our family comes over.” says Jonathan’s older brother Michael.

Just after midnight on Sunday they were driving on the QEW near Mississauga Road when OPP say a car rear ended another, starting a chain reaction crash that involved four vehicles.

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The first and second vehicles both caught fire as a result of the collision.

Lopez and Viernes were in the second vehicle and were not able to escape before the vehicle was consumed by flames.

Memories remain throughout the house now, including some of Johnathan’s childhood photos.

April was a nurse who was raised in Toronto. Jonathan was born and raised in Hamilton and was a volunteer with ACORN, an advocacy group that has been a notable voice in the city’s ongoing housing crisis.

“He was so involved in the community. In being an advocate.” says Cherlyne Morris of ACORN Hamilton.

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Family of Lopez and Viernes have set up a GoFundMe page to cover funeral costs that has almost reached its $25,000 goal after just three days.

Police say the driver of the first vehicle, 32-year-old Andy Persuad of Mississauga, was able to get out before the fire destroyed his vehicle.

Persuad was arrested and charged with two counts of impaired driving causing death, and two counts of dangerous driving causing death. He remains in custody pending a bail hearing.

“Please, hold your loved ones tight. And take care of each other. And don’t drink and drive.”

Any witnesses or anyone with dash camera footage of the incident are asked to call the Mississauga OPP at 905-858-8670.

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