The scene of a crash that killed six young people last weekend is believed to be a large concrete hole, referred to as a tunnel access shaft by the city, measuring 10 metres wide and 20 metres deep, located right in the middle of McKay Road in south-end Barrie.
The car plummeted into the hole and caught fire, according to a family member of one of the victims. The crash is believed to have happened sometime between 4 and 6 a.m., on Saturday, Aug. 27, but the crash scene was not located until Sunday at 2 a.m. by a Barrie police officer. All six people had been reported missing on Saturday and had been on their way to the casino at Georgian Downs in Innisfil, not far from where the crash happened.
Although it’s unknown how the road was blocked prior to the crash, large concrete blocks are now in place at the site.
BarrieToday spoke to residents Thursday afternoon who live in the area of Veterans Drive and McKay Road, where significant construction has been taking place for several months as residential developments are built in the south end.
A woman who lives in the McKay Road area said she and her husband had walked up to the hole prior the to crash, happening to look down inside.
“My husband has said several times, when looking at the construction zone, that it was a disaster waiting to happen,” said the woman, who didn’t want her name used due to the sensitivity of the ongoing investigation. “As far as driving in there, (people take their) ATVs in and around there. No one stops them.”
Both McKay Road and Veterans Drive have ‘Local Traffic Only’ signs, as well as now having barricades, fencing and concrete, with police monitoring the construction site.
“There have not been proper signs and blockings. If anyone wanted to get into the dirt construction road, they easily could have, and obviously did,” said the woman. “This is so sad, so tragic, and never should have happened.”
The woman said she believes the catastrophic crash could have been prevented.
“If that hole was covered, we wouldn’t be talking here today,” she said to a reporter.
Another resident said there has never been proper signage near the construction site entrances.
“At the intersection of Veterans and McKay, there is a security guard who stands there to reroute people who go past the sign up the road, but even that sign just says ‘Local Traffic Only,’” said the man, who also asked that his name not be published. “But even then, where (the crash happened) is at the other side — McKay Road and Highway 27 — and there is not a guard down there and no proper signage or gates and barricades like now.”
