METRO VANCOUVER - Gurmit (Jolly) Sachdeva was waiting for his family to return from morning prayers Sunday so they could celebrate his son’s fifth birthday.

When they didn’t show up he grew anxious, especially after hearing about a serious car crash earlier that morning.

He went to look for his family and recognized their Toyota, split in two, at a south Surrey intersection. It had been struck by a Dodge Caravan that allegedly ran a red light. Five family members, including Sachdeva’s wife Reena, five-year-old son Aanish, three-year-old daughter Jessica, sister Neelam Dhingra, and his mother, Vidya, were dead.

“Jolly is crying inconsolably and so is his father,” said Radio India host Gurpreet Singh, who was among more than 100 mourners who visited the family home in a quiet Surrey cul-de-sac Monday.

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Mounties said the crash was one of the worst they’ve seen in more than 20 years. Five bouquets and a stuffed animal ringed a traffic pole at the scene of crash at 176th Street and 32nd Avenue Monday.

Longtime friend and MLA Jagrup Brar, who came from the same Punjabi village as the Sachdeva family, said his heart goes out to them.

“It’s a huge, huge tragedy … no one can imagine their loss and pain,” he said.

“They were a very nice, loving, hardworking family.”

Mourners outside the Sachdeva home declined to speak to reporters Monday. A woman who answered the phone said Sachdeva was “OK but in shock” and was unable to speak with anyone at this time. She refused to comment any further.

The family business, Sachdeva Sweets and Restaurant, just a few blocks away, was shuttered. A hand-written sign on the door read: “Close (sic) for a few days, family emergency, sorry.” Bouquets had been placed at the sweet shop by late Monday afternoon.

Sachdeva Sweets is registered to Prem Nath Sachdeva, and has been in business since 2003. Brar, who regularly frequented the restaurant, said it was run by Jolly Sachdeva, his brother and his father but the whole family helped out. He last saw the family about a month ago but said he was aware it was Anish’s birthday Saturday and there had been a family celebration planned for Sunday.

“They were very loving children. They used to come to the restaurant,” Brar said. “My thoughts and prayers are with them.”

Inderjit Dadiala, a dentist whose office is in the same strip mall as Sachdeva Sweets, said Reena had come to Canada about five or six years ago to marry Jolly, who introduced his new bride to all the neighbouring business owners.

“She was so pretty, she had beautiful dimples,” Dadiala said.

She watched the family as it grew with the arrival of Aanish, then Jessica. “You know, you’re neighbours, you always know each other,” said Dadiala, who would often order her evening tea from Sachdeva.

She remembered Aanish as a “bubbly five-year-old” who spent time in a small garden plot in the common area shared by business owners in the strip mall. Jessica had recently learned to ride a tricycle.