A year has passed, yet the profound agony endured by six families bound by a harrowing tragedy remains as poignant as ever.
A catastrophic event occurred on August 27, 2022, where a vehicle carrying six youths met with a disastrous fate. The journey culminated abruptly in a deep concrete pit located in a construction site along McKay Road, situated east of County Road 27.
The lives abruptly ceased to exist in this tragic mishap were identified as the vivacious Curtis King, 22, the spirited River Wells, 21, the dynamic Jason Ono-O’Connor, 23, the energetic Luke West, 22, the lively Jersey Mitchell, 20, and the radiant Haley Marin, 21.
It was reported by law enforcement that the youthful band was on route to Gateway Casinos Innisfil, situated south of Barrie. However, fate intervened, ensuring they never reached their destination. The ill-omened crash site was discovered almost 20 hours after the young group last made their presence known.
In the wake of the horrifying accident, the family members of the victims were left despondent and inconsolable.
By Sunday, a handful of friends and family members solemnly gathered at the ill-fated site, paying their respects to a poignant makeshift memorial that has been maintained since the discovery of the accident.
A distressed Natile Hawes, mother of River Wells, poured out her anguish back in August 2022. “I need answers. I just want to hold him one more time, and I can’t even do that,” she lamented. Her son had been living life joyfully, working hard, and securing noteworthy milestones such as purchasing his first car just three days before the horrifying incident.
A police investigation led to multiple charges in January 2023 against the ConDrain Group, the construction company overseeing the site. They were indicted with six counts of criminal negligence resulting in death. The court documents acquired by CTV News alleged the construction company of failing to properly manage and sig the temporary closure of McKay Road between County Road 27 and Veterans Drive in compliance with the Traffic Management Plan.
At present, these weighty allegations have yet to be scrutinized in a court trial.
