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Crown withdraws charges against construction company in fatal Barrie crash

BARRIE, Ont. — Criminal charges against a construction company in a crash north of Toronto that killed six young people have been withdrawn by the Crown.
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The site of an accident that killed six young people is photographed in Barrie, Ont. on Saturday, September 3, 2022. Criminal charges against a construction company in a fatal crash north of Toronto have been withdrawn by the Crown.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsarov

BARRIE, Ont. — Criminal charges against a construction company in a crash north of Toronto that killed six young people have been withdrawn by the Crown.

Defence lawyer Marie Henein says all six counts of criminal negligence causing death against Condrain Group in the August 2022 crash were withdrawn Monday.

Police have said the victims, all in their early 20s, were heading to a casino north of Toronto around 6 a.m. when their car crashed in a construction site, killing everyone in the vehicle.

Investigators had determined that the crash happened at a municipal construction site on a rural road, where the car plunged into a deep pit nearly 24 hours before police officers came across the scene.

Family and friends identified those killed in the crash as Curtis King, 22; River Wells, 23; Jason Ono-O'Connor, 22; Luke West, 22; Jersey Mitchell, 20; and Haley Marin, 21.

The Concord, Ont.-based Condrain Group says in a written statement that it always had confidence in the justice system, adding it remains "committed to the community and moving forward from this heartbreaking tragedy."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 25, 2023.

The Canadian Press