Family identifies Kingston woman killed by alleged speeding impaired driver on Highway 401

The family of Nataly Tucci, a Kingston, Ontario woman killed in a multi-vehicle collision on Highway 401 in Whitby, has identified her and spoken out about the tragic incident. Her sister, Oricia Maletic, described her sister as a beautiful person with a kind soul who touched many lives and was a talented graphic designer. Tucci worked in Toronto but commuted to the city on weekdays and returned to Kingston on weekends to see her fiancé.

She had just started a job in Toronto in July and returned to Kingston for the weekend when the collision occurred.

The collision, which occurred at 7:10 p.m. on Sunday, involved three vehicles. The Ontario Provincial Police responded to the crash on Highway 401 westbound near Thickson Road, where two vehicles caught fire. The driver of the vehicle involved in the collision, 20-year-old Jaxon Christie of Lincoln, was arrested and charged with dangerous driving causing death, impaired driving causing death, and operating a vehicle with a blood alcohol content above 80 mg of alcohol in 100 ml of blood.

Maletic said her sister was commuting to Toronto for work on Monday morning when the collision happened.

Maletic expressed her grief, saying that her sister's fiancé was devastated by the loss. She admitted that she and her sister had fallen out of touch but remained connected because Tucci spoke to their 83-year-old mother almost daily. Maletic said her mother replayed the events, wondering how things could have been different to prevent the tragedy. She noted that Tucci often texted her when she arrived, and her mother questioned various decisions Tucci could have made that might have changed the outcome.

Police provided a dash camera video showing the white car speeding erratically on Highway 401 just 30 seconds before the collision, after which the vehicles involved came to a stop and were engulfed in flames. Maletic said her sister suffered severe burns, necessitating identification through dental records. She strongly condemned driving under the influence, stating that it ruins one's life and the lives of others.

She urged people to use alternative transportation options if they cannot drive sober, such as cabs or Ubers, rather than taking such a reckless risk.