A Concord-based construction company has been charged in connection with a crash in August that killed six young people in south Barrie on McKay Road.
In a media release on Thursday, police said they have charged Con-Drain Company (1983) Ltd. with six counts of criminal negligence causing death.
Around 2 a.m. on August 28, 2022, while conducting a missing persons investigation, police located a vehicle involved in a collision in a construction zone on McKay Road between County Road 27 and Veterans Drive.
Police determined the collision happened around 6 a.m. the day before when the car plunged into a deep pit.
Investigators have said the six were on their way to the nearby Gateway Casinos in Innisfil.
"The Barrie Police Service will not be providing any additional comments regarding this incident or to the investigative process," police stated in a news release on Thursday.
The victims of the crash, River Wells, Jason Ono-O'Connor, Jersey Mitchell, Luke West, Curtis King and Haley Marin, were all in their early 20s.
In a news release on Aug. 28, 2022, the City of Barrie said the area where the six people died was the site of a city construction project and the intersection had been closed since the spring.
“We were devastated to hear the news of an accident in the area of McKay Road West and Veteran’s Drive,” said Michael Prowse, Chief Administrative Officer and City Manager. “The area was a construction site being managed by city contractors to deliver the design, construction and financing of the water, sewer and road work along McKay Road and Veteran’s Drive to service new development in the area. The road has been fully closed and signed accordingly for many months.”
The construction company has a court date on Feb. 13.
Barrie 360 has reached out to the company for comment.
Banner image: A picture of the six crash victims is displayed at a vigil in Barrie for the six victims of the August 2022 car crash/Barrie 360
