Barrie, Ontario. Police say six people were killed in a car crash early Sunday and are believed to be the same people who went missing hours earlier.
The single-vehicle crash happened in the area of McKay Road and Simcoe County Road 27 in southwest Barrie, according to Barrie Police Service spokeswoman Jennett Mays. Officers found the vehicle around 2 a.m
All six people were found dead at the scene of the crash, Mays said. Police have not released names or exact ages.
Four men and two women, all in their 20s, were reported to the police at around 8pm on Saturday.
“The occupants are believed to be the six people missing from Saturday evening,” Mays said, adding that next of kin are being notified.
Missing Persons Update: At approximately 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, August 28, the Barrie Police Service responded to a fatal motor vehicle collision in the area of McKay Road and County Road 27. 1/ 4
—@BarriePolice
Police had posted missing persons reports about the six on their social media accounts on Saturday, but have since deleted those posts.
Police are trying to piece together what caused the crash
Police are trying to determine what happened before the crash and what caused it, Mays said.
“It will be a complex investigation and it will continue in the coming days,” he said.
Mays did not say whether alcohol was a factor in the crash. “There is an ongoing investigation that will look at what happened and what led to it,” he said. “I wouldn’t want to speculate on what might have led to this point.”
Officers from Barrie Police’s traffic unit, along with officers from their investigative unit, remain on the scene.
Barrie Mayor Jeff Lehman called the crash a “shocking and horrific tragedy” and urged residents to rally around the families who have lost loved ones.
“As a parent this is your worst nightmare. The six families in our town who are devastated this morning need all our compassion and support Barrie,” Lehman said on Twitter.
Lehman added that family and friends of the six who died will need support.
A shocking and horrific tragedy has taken the lives of six young people with their entire future ahead of them. As a parent, this is my worst nightmare. The six families in our city who are devastated this morning need all our compassion and support, Barrie. https://t.co/owQJEcJbYq
—@mayor_jeff
We are all hurting today as we learn the tragic news of the car accident and the loss of six young lives. I am thinking of the friends and families of these young people and I know there will be many in our community who will need support in the coming days and weeks. (1/2)
—@mayor_jeff
Barrie Fire Chief Cory Mainprize said the news marks “such a sad day for our community” and expressed his condolences on behalf of the fire department.
In the name of our
Such a sad day for our community.
—@MainprizeCory
Ontario Premier Doug Ford also offered his condolences on Twitter.
“On behalf of all Ontarians, I want to extend my deepest condolences to the loved ones of these six young men,” Ford wrote on Twitter. “We carry you all in our hearts during this time of unspeakable pain.”
On behalf of all Ontarians, I want to extend my deepest condolences to the loved ones of these six young men. We carry you all in our hearts during this time of unspeakable pain. https://t.co/8gc3YbuOKU
— @fordnation