On Wednesday 6 January, Fanshawe College international student, Dennies Sebastian, was killed in a two-vehicle car crash in London, Ontario. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Dennies, 20, was born in Kottayam, India.
The accident occurred at the intersection of Adelaide Street North and Ilderton Road in Middlesex Centre.
Police said two people from the other vehicle involved in the collision were seriously injured.
The intersection is a crossroads in open farmland, with a stop sign on Adelaide Street North, which runs roughly North – South.
The accident remains under investigation, but Ontario Provincial Police constable Jeff Hare said:
As always, just be mindful when you’re out driving around. Pay attention to your speed, pay attention to your surroundings. We can all be preoccupied with multiple electronics within the vehicle – multiple distractions outside the vehicle – but it’s always important to pay attention to our surroundings while we’re driving, operating our vehicles.
The the London Ontario Malayalee Association (LOMA), a group formed in 1977 to represent people from the Indian state of Kerala, issued a short statement on its Facebook page:
Arrangements are being made to send Sebastian’s remains to India.
Stay Safe
Road accidents – whether as a pedestrian, or a driver or passenger in a vehicle – are one of the key risks international students face when studying overseas.
In part this may be due to the fact that students are unfamiliar with the driving conditions and road rules in the country where they are studying.
Dennies’ death came less than a week after the death of international student Rakshitha Mallepally in a road accident in Australia.