A Barrie woman accused of driving while impaired and running into a group of pedestrians prior to a Barrie Colts game earlier this month is spending Christmas behind bars.
Cassie Korzenko, 32, faces three counts of impaired driving causing bodily harm.
Wearing a winter jacket and jeans, Korzenko appeared in bail court briefly Thursday, Dec. 22. But her bail hearing was not to be and her case was adjourned again.
During the evening of Dec. 1, three people walking outside the Sadlon Arena in Barrie’s south end were struck by a vehicle about an hour before the junior hockey game was to start.
Barrie police determined the vehicle involved in the crash was travelling south on Bayview Drive when it struck the pedestrians at Mapleview Drive and then collided with two other vehicles, whose occupants were uninjured.
Korzenko was arrested at the scene and taken to local hospital.
Two of the pedestrians were airlifted to a Toronto-area trauma centre. One suffered serious and potentially life-threatening injuries. The third pedestrian was transported to a local hospital and was also later flown to a Toronto hospital.
Empower Simcoe, which provides services to people with physical and intellectual disabilities, has confirmed that one of the victims, a 52-year-old woman, was a worker with the organization. The two others, men aged 53 and 44, each receive supports from the organization. The two men have also been involved with Special Olympics.
A handcuffed Korzenko appeared before Justice of the Peace Douglas Conley immediately following the lunch break, Thursday, before being remanded back to the Central North Correctional Centre (CNCC) in Penetanguishene. She is scheduled to return to court Dec. 28 for a video remand.
By midday Thursday, Empower Simcoe had raised more than $16,000 toward a goal of $50,000 through an online GoFundMe campaign for the three injured. According to the support agency’s website, all three individuals are improving but remain in hospital in Toronto.
