The brother of an Ontario father of three who was killed by a dangerous driver last summer says the accused’s guilty plea on Monday morning during what was supposed to be the first day of his trial “was a step in the right direction.”
But Jordan Cristillo still asked: Where was the remorse?
“I think it’s the first recognition of responsibility for the life sentence he gave to my brother and his family,” Jordan, 33, said on the phone from the Newmarket courthouse where the accused, Jaiwin Kirubananthan, pleaded guilty to five charges, including 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.
“So it was good to finally hear some level of acknowledgement. It didn’t mean it came with any remorse, but it’s a step in the right direction. Now as we move towards sentencing, that the judge bears this in mind that this could have been acknowledged immediately or shortly after the accident — it wasn’t. And sympathy for the guilty is cruelty for the victims.”
The next court date to schedule the sentencing for Kirubananthan, 19, of Oshawa, is June 22.
Family Members Injured
Jordan’s older brother Andrew Cristillo, 35, was driving on Hwy. 48 in Whitchurch-Stouffville on the night of Aug. 3, 2025, with his wife Christina and three young daughters — Ella, Louise and Chloe — when Kirubananthan, who was 18 at the time, collided with his vehicle. Cristillo was killed in the head-on collision and his family was injured.
Before court went into session Monday morning, Jordan reminded the media that Andrew’s family was also calling for the passage of Bill 75 which the Ontario government introduced in November 2025 and has been linked to “Andrew’s Law” campaign.
New Proposes Changes to Dangerous Driving Laws
The bill proposes an indefinite licence suspension on conviction for dangerous driving causing death, and a 90-day administrative licence suspension plus a seven-day vehicle impoundment where police have grounds to believe dangerous driving occurred.
In the aftermath of Andrew’s death, his family launched a Change.org petition calling for stronger dangerous driving laws with more than 42,000 Canadians backing measures to prevent repeat offenders from remaining on the road. Bill 75 passed second reading on March 25, and is currently before the Standing Committee on Justice Policy.
“Not only did (Kirubananthan) do all this but he also fled the scene when this happened,” Jordan said. “Overhearing cries of the three little girls for their mother, for help, and he was that big a coward to flee the scene and hide for hours until he was discovered and apprehended by the police.”
Previous Charges
Kirubananthan was previously charged with dangerous operation of a motor vehicle in connection with a January 2025 collision involving Ontario Premier Doug Ford, for which a 30-day driving ban went into effect. The premier has showed his support for “Andrew’s Law,” and a second trial in relation to the crash with the premier’s vehicle is scheduled for mid-June.
“So just six or seven months before he killed my brother, he hit Premier Ford, his motorcade on Hwy. 401, going over 200 kilometres an hour,” Jordan alleged. “And within 30 days he was legally allowed back on the road.”
Jordan hopes the legislative change will become law this year. “If you put known dangerous drivers back behind the wheel, they can destroy a life,” said Jordan, who also wants to see tougher sentencing and more accountability.
“In Texas if you’re a dangerous driver, a stunt driver or an impaired driver, and you take the life of a parent as a result of your reckless actions, you’re then forced to pay child support,” he said.
Asked how Cristillo’s family is doing nine months after the crash, Jordan said: “Every day’s a battle just having to pick up the pieces this criminal has left them with. (Christina’s) a widow to three young girls and she has her own health conditions (breast cancer) which adds a whole other level of uncertainty over their heads.”
