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Police have charged a 35-year-old Calgary man after a stolen truck plowed into the front of a house early Friday morning.
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Francis Ositadinma, wife Mine Ositadinma and eight-day-old son Nathan were uninjured in the crash and evacuated the duplex. They just took possession of the home on Dec. 23 and are temporarily living in an Airbnb in southeast Calgary until they figure out what happens next.
Pictured is the aftermath of a collision involving a truck that crashed into a house at the intersection of 76 Ave and 20a St. SE on Friday, January 6, 2023. Azin Ghaffari/Postmedia
“It was one of the worst days of my life, to be honest, and I hope I never have to go through that,” Francis said in an interview with Postmedia as he finally gets a chance to look back on what happened the family in
Friends from Regina and Edmonton were also in the house at the time, including a four-month-old, who were visiting and meeting Nathan for the first time.
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Moy moved to Calgary seven years ago as an international student and Frances followed two years later as a permanent resident. The family had just moved from Airdrie, where they had lived for three years, to be closer to work. Both Frances and Main work in financial services.
The victims had just moved to Calgary
Francis could see the stars aligning for a fresh start in life in Calgary with a move to a new home and their first child on the way — it was a chance to put down roots and settle in the city.
However, mine had some health complications that required Nathan to be born three weeks early. A week later, their home, which they still hadn’t unpacked, was destroyed.
“It was exciting, the dream was exciting,” he said. “I don’t feel like the dream was taken away, but it was massively disrupted.”
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Family grateful for neighbors’ support
The situation has caused them a lot of unnecessary stress, with Moi still recovering from the birth.
Francis thanked the Ogden neighborhood for its support for the family over the past two days.
The Ositadinmas are not sure what will be their housing situation and the future of the house. At the very least, they will be looking for temporary housing until the insurance company, builders and engineers figure out if the duplex can be saved or if it will have to be torn down and rebuilt.
Repairs were underway at a home in Lynnwood on Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023. The driver of the truck that crashed into the home early Friday morning has been charged with five violations. Gavin Young/Postmedia
Francis applauded the police for their quick work in bringing charges.
“It’s good to see him,” he said. “I think this guy, whoever he is, just needs to face the consequences of what he’s done.”
The truck crashed into the front of the house and entered a secondary basement that was unoccupied.
The truck driver was the sole occupant and was taken to Foothills Medical Center in critical condition. His condition has since stabilized and remains under observation.
Corey Delorme of Calgary is charged with five felonies – four for failure to comply with warrants and a fifth for possession of stolen property over $5,000. The incident is still under investigation and more charges may be forthcoming.
jaldrich@postmedia.com
Twitter: @JoshAldrich03
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