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The widow of a man killed in a head-on car crash north of Toronto last year told a courtroom on Tuesday she now lives with “overwhelming grief, sadness and heartbreak,” saying his death has left a “huge hole” in her family.
In a victim impact statement in Newmarket, Ont., Christina Cristillo said her husband, Andrew Cristillo, 35, was her “rock” and their young three daughters are now without a loving and caring father because of the crash outside of Whitchurch-Stouffville on Aug. 3, 2025.
“Andrew was my safe place in this world. No matter what was thrown our way, I always knew I had him beside me,” Christina said in an audio recording.
“He was my hero, he was also the girls’ hero. We called him our very own superhero dad, he was the foundation of our family — the person our daughters ran to, the one who calmed all my fears, made us laugh, protected us and loved us unconditionally.”
The victim impact statement was delivered at a sentencing hearing for Jaiwin Victor Kirubananthan. Other family members of Cristillo’s family, namely his father and brother, also described the impact of Andrew’s death on their lives.
Kirubananthan pleaded guilty in April to dangerous driving causing death, failing to remain at the scene of a crash where death ensued and three counts of dangerous operation of a vehicle in connection with the crash.
According to an agreed statement of facts, the crash occurred when the car Kirubananthan was driving collided with the Cristillos’ family car. Andrew was pronounced dead at the scene, while Christina and their three daughters were taken to hospital with injuries. The three children underwent treatment at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children.
Kirubananthan was found by police in a field the next morning. He was also charged in January 2025 in connection with a crash involving Ontario Premier Doug Ford.
This court exhibit shows the state of Jaiwin Victor Kirubananthan’s vehicle after it came to a rest in a ditch after the crash. (Court exhibit)
Christina, who also has stage four breast cancer, said Andrew’s death is a profound loss.
“My girls and I were in that wreck with Andrew. We lived through the moments of our car being destroyed and crumbled. I cannot bring myself to even look at footage of that crash. It gives me nightmares,” she said.
She and Andrew met when she was nine and he was 11. They started dating when she was 18 and she was 20 and they got married when she was 24 and he was 26. She addressed him directly in her victim impact statement.
“Andrew, there will never be enough words to explain how deeply you are loved or how painfully you are missed. You were my husband, my best friend and the most incredible father to our girls. Losing you has left a space in our lives that we will never be able to fill,” she said.
‘Nothing in life’ prepares you for death of son, father says
Danny Cristillo, Andrew’s father, said in a victim impact statement read in court that it has been heartbreaking to lose his son.
“When Andrew married Christina, I went to Holt Renfrew to purchase a suit — a special suit for a special occasion, for my eldest son’s wedding day. Nine years later, I found myself in a change room at that same store, trying on another suit. Standing there alone, I was struck by the unbearable reality of what I was doing. I was buying a suit for my son’s funeral,” he said.
“I stood in that change room in tears, because nothing in life prepares a father for that moment. A wedding suit and a funeral suit — nine years apart — both for the same son.”
Danny said his son’s death has also taken a physical toll, leaving him with chronic pain, insomnia, and sleep disruptions due to “unrelenting” grief and stress.
Jordan Cristillo, Andrew’s brother, spoke to reporters before the sentencing hearing, saying: ‘Here we are now, seeking justice, justice for Andrew.’ (Paul Smith/CBC)
Jordan Cristillo, Andrew’s brother, spoke to reporters outside the Newmarket courthouse before the hearing, saying the case is a test of the criminal justice system.
“Picture this: Three little girls all in a separate room at SickKids for multiple weeks recovering from serious, life-threatening injuries. All of them could have been killed that day. Christina is left widowed, a young mother already with her own health battles ahead of her, having to raise these three little girls alone,” he said.
“And the criminal? Fled. Here we are now, seeking justice, justice for Andrew.”
Ford met with Cristillo’s family after the crash and introduced legislation in November 2025 that includes stricter dangerous driving penalties.
The Keeping Criminals Behind Bars Act, 2025, which received Royal Assent in June, allows police to issue an immediate roadside driver’s licence suspension of 90 days and impound a vehicle for seven days if they have reason to believe a person was driving dangerously.