Toronto service station owner killed in collision remembered as ‘fantastic guy’

A man who died in a collision on Monday night is being remembered by his brother as a kind and loving person who gave his heart and soul to people.

Identified by family and friends as Kelly Nichols, he was the owner of a service station in central Etobicoke.

“He was a big car guy. All weekend, he was at the car show with (his Dodge) Dart. He had (Ford) Model As,” Casey Nichols told CTV News Toronto on Tuesday.

Jason, who works at Nichols’ shop, called him a “fantastic guy, very charismatic,” saying he was someone who was “strong, opinionated, but always there for everyone.”

“That’s why he carries a lot of weight for everybody locally with a lot of people,” he added.

‘He was so well known’

On Tuesday, several people stopped by Nichols’ garage, which is located at a Shell gas station near Martingrove and Burnhamthorpe roads, as word of his death began to spread.

“It’s amazing. He was so well known. So (the news of his death) been going around the neighbourhood, everybody’s phoning everybody,” one customer and friend said.

The crash that took Nichols’ life happened nearby at Shorncliffe and Bramshott roads, south of Dundas Street West and west of Highway 427. Emergency responders say they were called to that area just after 6:30 p.m. for reports of a collision.

In a news release, Toronto police said a 63-year-old man was driving a black Dodge Dart southbound on Shorncliffe when he lost control of his car and hit a parked dump truck.

Despite lifesaving efforts, the motorist, whom they have not identified, was pronounced dead at the scene. No other injuries were reported.

“I was closing my shop, and all of a sudden, we heard something hit that truck over there. We went across the street and called 9-1-1. The guy was still breathing,” a local business owner told CTV News Toronto.

Another man who also works nearby said he heard a loud bang and saw a car that had struck a dump truck.

He said paramedics arrived, pulled a man out of that vehicle and worked to revive him.

He said he knew Nichols to be a calm driver.

Traffic-related fatalities on rise: Toronto police

The Etobicoke man is the latest victim, say Toronto police, in a year that has seen a huge uptick in traffic-related fatalities.

So far in 2026, there have been 23 road deaths in the city. Collisions with serious injuries are also up, they added.

“We have had a 28 per cent increase (in fatal collisions) from last year at this time. A significant increase has been shown with our motorcycle operators and our pedestrians this year,” Sgt. Murray Campbell, of Toronto Police Service Traffic Services, said.

“So, our motorcycle operator deaths this year are up 500 per cent compared to the same time last year.”

Toronto police are calling this spike in road fatalities an “alarming trend,” noting that pedestrian fatalities are up 56 per cent compared to this time last year and 75 per cent compared to 2024.

Toronto has seen 14 pedestrian-related deaths this year, compared to 9 in 2025 and eight the year before.

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Police are blaming aggressive and distracted driving, along with speeding, for the majority of these crashes.

“I’m worried, I’m definitely worried about this trend. These are people’s lives and these are people’s families that are being affected by these unfortunate collisions,” Campbell said.

Those who knew Nichols say he had a heart condition and other health issues. However, no one knows for sure what caused him to lose control of his vehicle on Monday evening.

“I’m not going to say anything until we hear from the coroner, not going to speculate,” his heartbroken brother said.

Traffic Services continues to investigate the circumstances of this collision.