Impaired driving charges laid in fatal Mississauga crash that killed Hamilton and Oakville residents

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Published February 2, 2023 at 3:50 pm

charges fatal crash mississauga
Carly Charlebois, left, and Rama Pirakala died in a crash in Mississauga in June. Photos via Gofundme

One person was charged in a horrific crash in Mississauga that killed two people last June.

The collision on the QEW just before Cawthra Road in Mississauga on June 16 claimed the lives of Oakville resident Rama Pirakala, 42, and Carly Charlebois, 20, from Hamilton. One other person suffered critical injuries.

OPP said there was a two-vehicle collision with three people involved and both vehicles blocking the left lane. Moments later a third vehicle crashed into the stopped vehicles.

The OPP announced yesterday (Feb. 1) they had charged the driver of the third vehicle in connection with the collision.

A 32-year-old driver from Sables-Spanish Rivers is charged with two counts of impaired driving causing death and one count of impaired driving causing bodily harm.

Friends of the two people who died in the crash organized fundraisers to support the families.

Pirakala, co-owner of Charminar, an Indian restaurant in Burlington, was described as “full of optimism, always willing to help and support the ones in need.”

He was a volunteer with multiple charity/support organizations including Andhra Pradesh Non-Resident Telugu Society where he was the regional coordinator for Canada.

He left behind a wife and two children — a 10-year-old boy and a four-year-old girl.

Charlebois attended Fanshawe College in London pursuing a career helping others. She was born and raised in Hamilton she attended St. Thomas More Catholic Secondary School.

“Carly was a beautiful smart funny and driven young girl,” Jennifer Watson noted on GoFundMe. “Carly had a love for fashion and flair and her impeccable taste showed in everything she did and wherever she went. Her bubbly personality made everyone around her feel special and loved.”

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