Criminal charges have been withdrawn against an Ontario construction company in connection with the deaths of six people who were killed after the vehicle they were travelling in plunged into a deep concrete pit at a construction site in Barrie last summer.
The group was on their way to a nearby casino on Aug. 27, 2022, when they inadvertently drove into a concrete pit on McKay Road, east of County Road 27.
In a rare criminal prosecution, Condrain Group, one of the largest construction companies in the province, was charged with six counts of criminal negligence causing death after it was alleged that the company failed to properly secure the construction site where the collision occurred.
CTV News Barrie confirmed that those charges were dropped on Monday after the Crown indicated that there was no reasonable prospect of a conviction.
“Condrain has always had confidence in the justice system and that this matter would conclude as it has today,” read a written statement released by Marie Henein, the lawyer representing Condrain.
“Our thoughts are with the families of those that lost their lives and the Barrie community. We remain committed to the community and moving forward from this heartbreaking tragedy.”
The City of Barrie previously confirmed that the area was the site of an infrastructure project where new water mains and sanitary sewers were being built.
The six individuals, identified by police as Curtis King, 22, River Wells, 21, Jason Ono-O'Connor, 23, Luke West, 22, Jersey Mitchell, 20, and Haley Marin, 21, were initially reported as missing persons before the vehicle was discovered by police about 20 hours after they were last seen.
-With files from CTV News Barrie
