For many it’s traumatizing image, a violent two-vehicle collision at Oxford Steet East and McNay street.
Its even more traumatizing for friends and family of the woman inside one of those vehicles, “It’s like the video that you don’t want to see, but you had to see it to, you know, just kind of make sense of it. And it’s horrifying. I mean, it’s affected us and it’s going to affect her.“
Nicki Kranidis told CTV News the hardest part was the sense of helplessness she felt for her sister, Shona Ivany, as the crash happened, “She had no chance to respond to do anything because it was just so fast. And I think anybody that watches that video, they’ve all had the same effect. They’re just like, ‘It’s just horrific.‘”
Surveillance cameras at a nearby business captured the crash unfolding, Shona’s truck heading east on Oxford just after 7:00 a.m. Monday. Another pick-up speeds through a red stop light and slams into the driver-side door of Shona’s vehicle, which ends up on its side leaning against the fence that surrounds a school playground.
Nicki and Shona’s two adult children, Ashely and Jeremy, all received crash notifications from Shona’s pick-up.
Nicki was closest and tried to reach the scene but got caught in the traffic jam, “I did connect with a friend that lives just down the street, and I knew he might have heard something. He says, ‘Oh no, not that crash on Oxford.’ I knew, as soon as I heard that. He just said it was a flip, and I knew then that’s why we hadn’t heard from her.”
Shona suffered numerous fractures as a result of the crash, “She had a broken sternum, broken collarbone, broken pelvis, fractured ribs.”
Nicki said that, on Wednesday, her sister underwent what they hope will be her last surgery and they have received some encouraging news, with doctors finding no signs of brain damage.
“A CAT scan (Computed Tomography scan) has come back good,” reported Kranidis. “She shows no paralysis. It’s just simply, you know, her strong will that’s got to bring her back to where she was.”
Nicki said family and friends have constantly been by her sisters side, including Shona’s two grandchildren, and they will be there for every step of her physiotherapy and recovery. She has no doubt Shona will tackle the challenges like she tackles all aspects of her life, “She is a go getter. She is always on her feet. She has a drive. She’s family oriented.”
Shona Ivany had just returned from Newfoundland on Saturday. She and Nicki have been taking turns travelling to the island to oversee care for their father who suffered a stroke about six weeks ago.
Nick Kranidis said what is striking is the community support, with numerous people the family has never met reaching out and offering help. Many have been contributing to an online fundraiser set up to support Shona.
The driver of the other vehicle faces a number of charges, including one count of impaired driving causing bodily harm.
