Construction company charged in single-vehicle crash that killed 6 near Barrie

A construction company is facing charges after a car carrying six people crashed into a large trench at the site of a construction project south of Barrie last summer, killing all six occupants.

In an update Thursday, Barrie police said Con-Drain Company (1983) Ltd. has been charged with six counts of Criminal Negligence Causing Death in the crash on McKay Road, just east of County Road 27 at around 6 a.m. on Saturday, August 27, 2022.

The deceased, two women and four men all between the ages of 20 and 23 weren’t found until early the next morning while police conducted a missing persons investigation.

The intersection where the crash occurred had been closed since the previous spring for the construction project.

At the time, a local fireman who wished to remain anonymous told CityNews the vehicle crashed into a large trench that had been dug out along the stretch of McKay Road that was under construction.

The victims were later identified as Jersey Mitchell, Haley Marin, Luke West, Curtis King, River Wells, and Jason O’Connor. Police say they were on their way to a nearby casino when the crash occurred.

L to R: Haley Marin (Karen Ross/Facebook), Luke West (Barrie Minor Lacrosse Association), Curtis King (Facebook) and River Wells (Simcoe County Football/Instagram).

Barrie Mayor Jeff Lehman called it a “shocking and horrible tragedy.”

“As a parent myself, this is the worst nightmare,” he tweeted last summer. “The six families in our city who are devastated this morning need all of our compassion and support.”

The company is scheduled to appear in court in Barrie on Feb. 13, 2023.

“The Barrie Police Service will not be providing any additional comments regarding this incident or to the investigative process that has led to the release of information contained within this media release,” Barrie police said in a release.

With files from John Marchesan and Quintin Bignell