The group, called Ripple of Kindness, in support of Barrie Mayor Jeff Lehman, has raised nearly $9,000 for the families of Luke West, Curtis King, River Wells, Haley Marin, Jersey Mitchell and Jason O’Connor. All are believed to be in their 20s. They were killed in a single-vehicle crash in the south end of Barrie, about an hour north of Toronto. PLEASE SHARE.Many people have asked me how to support the families of the young people who tragically lost their lives in the car accident on Sunday. Ripple of Kindness Barrie created this GoFundMe page. Read their message and RT (and thank you)https://t.co/7xcWOnRe08 —@mayor_jeff “While this is beyond our usual scope of fundraising, we believe these are extenuating circumstances,” the fundraiser states. “Our community has been shaken to the core, our flags are at half-mast and six families are devastated by the loss of loved ones. Let’s come together as a community and show our support.” According to the fundraiser’s website, the group has set up a committee of group members and a representative from each family to allocate the funds.
Local sports leagues mourn former players
Police are continuing to investigate and have not released any further information. Lehman has previously urged residents not to speculate about the cause of the crash. However, information circulating on social media has given a glimpse of who the victims were. Luke West was a lacrosse player and coach who played the sport nearly his entire life, according to the Bombers Junior C Lacrosse Club. “We love you, miss you and are grateful for the time we had with you,” read a joint Twitter statement from the club and the association. Our thoughts & prayers are with the West family. RIP #11. pic.twitter.com/QoF0GXx3OH —@BombersJrC According to Simcoe County Football, Curtis King and River Wells were former athletes who played for the Innisdale Invaders and Barrie North Vikings. “We don’t just remember these great athletes for what they did on the field, we remember the great people they were in life,” reads an Instagram post from the football league. In a separate tribute, the Barrie Bruisers Flag football team recognized Wells as a “fierce competitor and outstanding athlete” who will be missed by many. Two separate online fundraisers have been set up for the King and Wells families, both of which have raised thousands of dollars as of Monday morning. The Kings fundraiser has since stopped accepting donations. Jason Wright, who identified himself as King’s birth father, says his son was full of life and always willing to help anyone and everyone. Speaking briefly to CBC Toronto, he expressed his condolences to the other families affected and asked that everyone be given their privacy. “I’m just asking everybody, please, give all the affected families some time to grieve,” Wright said. The six people who died in the crash are believed to be the same group who were missing several hours before the crash scene was discovered by police. A makeshift memorial has begun at the site of the crash that killed six people Sunday near McKay Street and Route 27 in Simcoe County. (Paul Smith/CBC)
The crash happened at a closed construction site, the city says
On Monday, the city of Barrie said the accident occurred at a municipal construction site that has been closed to vehicular traffic for several months. According to police, an officer found the scene of the crash around 2 a.m. Sunday in the area of McKay Road and Simcoe County Road 27. The city said the area, located near the main construction site at McKay Street and Veteran’s Drive, was closed and managed by contractors for ongoing water, sewer and road work. The city of Barry says the crash site has been closed for construction since the spring. (Paul Smith/CBC) “We were [devastated] to hear news of an accident in the area,” City Manager Michael Prowse said in a statement. “This is an active investigation by Barrie Police and as always, if there is anything city staff can do to assist, we will.” The city says it is thinking of all the friends and family of the six people who were killed and has taken down all flags at city hall.
