Ontario Construction News staff writer
Charges against Condrain Group in connection with an August 2022 collision that killed six young adults in Barrie have been dropped.
in a Barrie court on Monday, the Crown withdrew all charges against Condrain Group, citing there was no reasonable prospect of a conviction.
Condrain released the following statement on Monday”
“Condrain has always had confidence in the justice system and that this matter would conclude as it has today. 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.”
During a case management hearing in Barrie court Monday morning, the Crown said there was new evidence and the charges “could not be proven within a reasonable doubt”.
The Concord-based construction company was charged with six counts of criminal negligence causing death after six young people were killed Aug. 27, 2022 when the vehicle they were in plunged into a construction hole in the middle of the closed road.
The charges were laid over a horrific crash that took the lives of six people after their car fell into a 10-metre concrete utility hole on a road closed for construction on the outskirts of Barrie in the summer of 2022.
Court documents had alleged the company failed to “properly sign and barricade the temporary road closure of McKay Road between County Road 27 and Veterans Drive as per the traffic management plan and contract with Erritt Construction Ltd.”
Police have said they believe the group was travelling to the nearby Gateway Casinos Innisfil (Georgian Downs), not far from the crash site and just outside the city limits.