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Lawyer for Barrie teen charged in fatal crash asks for more time

Defence waiting for disclosure information, specifically witness statements, surveillance videos and crash reconstruction report
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Local emergency personnel responded to the scene of a collision involving a pedestrian along Big Bay Point Road in Barrie on July 21, 2023.

The lawyer for a Barrie teen charged in a deadly south-end crash that killed a Georgian College student this past summer has asked for more time to prepare their defence.

The lawyer for the accused, 19-year-old Jacob Throop, spoke remotely to the Barrie court via video on Monday and said he was still waiting to receive disclosure information, specifically the witness statements, surveillance videos and crash reconstruction report, among other items.

The judge and the Crown agreed to schedule the next court appearance for Nov. 6 in Barrie court.

Varsil Patel, 19, was killed in the July 21 crash.

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Varsil Patel was killed Friday, July 21 after being struck by a vehicle while crossing the road in Barrie's south end. | Facebook photo

Barrie police say Patel, who hailed from India and 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, has been 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 have been proven in court.

The police investigation determined that 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.

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, 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 last year.

“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.”

 



Kevin Lamb

About the Author: Kevin Lamb

Kevin Lamb picked up a camera in 2000 and by 2005 was freelancing for the Barrie Examiner newspaper until its closure in 2017. He is an award-winning photojournalist, with his work having been seen in many news outlets across Canada and internationally
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