Family Seeks to Hold City of Vaughan and Driver Accountable in Death of 10-year-old Cyclist

Newswire.ca
Nov. 5, 2021

The family of a 10-year-old girl who was killed by a vehicle while riding her bike in Thornhill, believes the fatal collision was entirely preventable. The parents of Nikita Belykh are taking the City of Vaughan and driver involved, to court.

"We could not stay silent after too many young people, including our little girl, lost their lives in vehicle collisions in the GTA over the past few months," said Mike Belykh, Nikita's father. "No parent should have to endure such a terrible loss."

On September 1, 2021, at 10:54 a.m., 10-year-old Nikita Belykh of Thornhill, was riding her bike home from swimming with a friend at the North Thornhill Community Centre. She was cycling northbound along the sidewalk of Pleasant Ridge Avenue, when a driver exiting the community centre, made a sudden turn colliding into Belykh. She died of her injuries in hospital, the following day.

In the Statement of Claim filed in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Newmarket, Nikita's family is seeking $7.5 million in damages from the Mississauga driver and the City of Vaughan. It's alleged that the driver was not only distracted, but travelling too fast. The city is also being sued for negligence, after it is alleged that it failed to respond to public complaints about signage that blocks part of the road and sidewalk at the community centre.

"This is yet another senseless tragedy involving a young person on Greater Toronto Area roads," said Michael Smitiuch, of Smitiuch Injury Law PC, the lawyer representing Nikita's family. "Drivers shouldn't have to be reminded to pay far more attention, but clearly they do. Too many lives depend on it."

Nikita, who spoke three languages, was looking forward to starting school in September. She would have been in grade five.