Barrie crash leaves six people dead in ‘absolutely devastating loss’

Luke West left an impression.

I've coached thousands of kids over the past 25 years and if I had to name the kids who meant the most to me ... he would be on a very short list," lacrosse coach Jim Lowe said Sunday.

He made you care about him because he just had this passion and fire in front of him."

West, 22, was one of six young people who died in a Barrie single-vehicle crash in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Barrie Mayor Jeff Lehman called it a shocking and horrible tragedy," saying as a parent myself this is the worst nightmare."

Officers located the crash in the area of McKay Road and County Road 27 at about 2 a.m. According to Barrie police, it's believed the occupants were six people who were reported missing earlier Saturday evening.

In a social media post that has since been replaced with a post about the crash, police listed the missing people as four young men - Curtis King, 22, River Wells, 23, Jason O'Connor, 22, and Luke West, 22 - and two females, Jersey Mitchell and Haley Marin.

The other casualties could not be confirmed by deadline.

The area where the crash occurred was closed to traffic. City manager Michael Prowse confirmed in a statement Sunday to several outlets that it was a construction site being managed by the city to install new infrastructure.

We're all hurting today as we learn the tragic news of the car accident and the loss of six young lives," the mayor wrote in social media posts on Sunday.

I'm thinking about the friends and families of these young people and know that there will be many in our community in need of support in the days and weeks to come."

While I know people will want to learn details about a situation like this, let's all please remember to show the strength of Barrie's compassion at this time and give respect and space to the families on this awful day," he wrote.

Jim Lowe said he coached West on the Barrie Bombers lacrosse team for more than a decade.

Lowe called him one of his favourite players.

It's an absolutely devastating loss of a good human being. He was trying to make the world better, he was giving back," an emotional Lowe said.

Lowe said West had a deep passion for the game and was one of the smartest players he ever coached.

He was a tremendous young man, he was a leader on the floor," Lowe said. More importantly, he was the ultimate teammate. He would go through a wall for his teammates. Not a big guy, but he was tough as nails."

Lowe added that West carried the same passion he had as a player to coaching.

He was someone who was becoming a really amazing coach and giving back to the game and being a leader for a bunch of young people," Lowe said. There aren't many 22-year-olds who would give up their entire summer to coach a bunch of 15- and 16-year-olds."

West advanced to six provincial championship games during his lacrosse career - including five as a player and one as a coach - winning two.

A Facebook post by the Barrie Minor Lacrosse Association said West is survived by his parents and his brother.

Westy' was part of Barrie lacrosse for almost his entire life," the association said.

He was a locker room favourite due to his toughness, tenacity, and incredible lacrosse IQ."

The association describes him as someone who gave back to lacrosse world" from a young age.

He was a fixture at introductory player clinics when the Bombers minor organization launched, helping introduce new players to the sport he loved," the post said. He moved on to coaching, a position he seemed born for, sharing his incredible knowledge of the game and vision of the floor.

We love you, we miss you, and we are grateful for the time that we had with you. Rest in Peace, #11."

The Barrie Police Traffic Unit was on scene Sunday investigating along with officers from the Investigative Services division.

Near the scene of the crash Sunday afternoon a police car with one officer blocked off traffic to McKay Road, letting only local drivers through. The vehicle, which was found several hundred metres away from the busy County Road 27 intersection, was removed earlier in the day.

Two women who said they knew the victims came to leave flowers but did not want to speak in detail about their friends.

Barrie's city hall flags have been lowered to half-mast.

Premier Doug Ford also weighed in on Twitter, stating On behalf of all Ontarians, I want to extend my deepest condolences to the loved ones of these six young individuals. We are holding you all in our hearts during this time of unspeakable pain."

The crash had not been reported to police when officers came across the scene, according to police spokesperson Jennett Mays.

Anyone who has any information related to this incident is asked to contact Barrie police.

The Barrie Police Service offers sincere condolences to the families and loved ones of those involved," the release said.

With files from The Canadian Press, Christine Dobby and Star staff

John Edwards is a reporter at The Connection, covering Collingwood and The Blue Mountains You can reach him at jedwards@simcoe.com. Follow him on Twitter and follow Simcoe.com on Facebook