The lawyer for a Barrie man charged in a deadly south-end crash in 2023 that killed a Georgian College student from India has once again asked for more time.
The lawyer for the accused, Jacob Throop, who was 19 years old when he was charged, spoke remotely to the Barrie court via video this morning (Aug. 28) and asked for a one-week adjournment in the case.
The judge and the Crown agreed to schedule the next court appearance, which is to enter a plea, for Sept. 4 via video in a Barrie court.
Varsil Patel, 19, was killed in the July 21, 2023 crash.
Barrie police say Patel, who was studying computer programming at Georgian College, was struck by a vehicle while he was walking near the intersection at Big Bay Point Road and Leggott Avenue just after 10 p.m. that Friday night.
Patel was pronounced dead at the scene.
Throop, who was arrested nearby, was charged with dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death and failure to stop after a collision causing death. He was later released on bail.
None of the allegations against Throop have been tested in court.
Barrie police say their investigation determined Patel was crossing from the south side of Big Bay Point Road to a plaza located on the north side when he was struck by the westbound vehicle.
Police say the vehicle was located a short distance away at a plaza on the southeast corner of Huronia and Big Bay Point roads, where it had caught fire.
Patel worked at the Circle K in a plaza on Big Bay Point Road, near where he was struck and killed.
On July 26, 2023, city police said they had requested a search warrant to retrieve information from the car's computer system, which had been compared to "a plane's black box." Police said this could give investigators a better idea of what the vehicle was doing at the time of the crash.
Patel was from Ahmedabad Gujarat, India. A family member said he began his studies at Georgian College about one year before he was killed.
“They are not a wealthy family and have raised money thanks to the generosity of many,” Patel's cousin told BarrieToday. “He was an only child and was working and going to school to help his family.”
