Flags were flown at half-mast after six young adults from Barrie, north of Toronto, were killed in a single-vehicle crash.
Barrie Police responded to the scene of the crash at 2 a.m. Sunday near McKay Road and Veteran’s Drive, which is between County Road 27 and Highway 400. That stretch of road is currently an active construction site and the intersection in question has been closed since spring, the city confirmed .
A makeshift memorial has begun to take shape near the crash site as grieving members of the community leave flowers and other memorabilia.
The victims — four men and two women — are in their 20s, Janet Mace, communications coordinator for the Barrie Police Department, told CTV News. They are believed to be the same group of people who went to a nearby casino together on Friday night and were reported missing the next day after friends lost contact with them.
Although Barrie police have not released the names of the dead, details are beginning to emerge about their identities.
According to lacrosse coach and longtime sports broadcaster Jim Lowe, one of the youths killed was local player-turned-coach Luke West.
Lowe remembered the 22-year-old, whom he had known since he was eight, as an amazing man and “a great lacrosse player.”
Luke West, seen in this photo, was among the six killed in a crash in Barrie. (Sent)
He said West is someone who has given back to the game he loves by volunteering at lacrosse clinics, then showing others “how to become better lacrosse players.” This summer, West was an assistant coach for the Barrie Bombers U17-2 team.
“He just did it because he wanted to give back and become a role model for these young men,” Lowe said, adding that one of his favorite moments was West’s first junior lacrosse goal.
West appeared in six provincial championship finals, winning two of them – one as a player and the other as a coach, where he won a silver medal.
“The game helped him through his life, took him places and gave him memories. … Unfortunately, this story ended too soon,” Lowe said.
The Barrie Minor Lacrosse Association posted a tribute to West on its Facebook page, remembering him as a locker room favorite for his toughness, tenacity and incredible lacrosse IQ.
“Westy, the impact you had on your teammates, coaches and the young men you coached is immeasurable. Few have worked harder in Bomber Blue, few can claim to have lifted us so high. We love you, miss you, and are grateful for the time we had with you,” they wrote.
Another victim, Haley Marin, was mourned on social media by her best friend Karen Ross, who said Marin was the only friend she could share everything with. Ross called her “a beautiful soul, person and friend.”
The identities of the other four victims have not been independently confirmed.
Barry Mayor Jeff Lehman offered his condolences on Twitter.
“My thoughts go out to the friends and families of these young people and I know there will be many in our community needing support in the coming days and weeks,” he wrote in a post Sunday afternoon.
Calling the tragedy his “worst nightmare” as a parent, Lehmann urged people to “remember to show Barry the power of compassion at this time and give respect and space to the families on this terrible day and in the days to come when our a community mourns.”
Two community members stopped by the McKay Road area of Barrie with a bouquet of flowers on Sunday. Six youths from the area were killed in a single-vehicle crash over the weekend.
Speaking to CP24, Lehmann said this tragedy hit “our community very, very hard” as six local families “had just had their lives ripped apart in an instant.”
The exact circumstances surrounding the accident are still being clarified.
Anyone with more information is urged to contact the Barrie Police Department.
With files from Brian Aguilar and Andrew Brennan of CTV News Toronto
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