Crane operator charged in deadly workplace accident
Warning: Content in this article may be disturbing.
The case against a crane operator facing criminal charges after a workplace accident claimed the life of a construction worker in Barrie three years ago remains before the courts.
However, on Wednesday, the Crown confirmed criminal charges against North Steel, the company allegedly responsible for the crane at a Dunlop Street construction site on June 24, 2021, were withdrawn. It was also learned that the occupational health and safety charges against Donald Balkwill, the crane operator, have been stayed.
According to police, 52-year-old Corey Phillips died at the Dunlop Street West job site near Boys Street when a crane tipped over and killed him.
More than a year later, police charged Balkwill and North Steel with criminal negligence causing death in the case.
Police said the company supplied and installed steel beams at the site.
- Download the CTV News app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates sent to your email inbox
They also shared that officers and the Ministry of Labour investigated and determined that the crane fell over, knocking Phillips down and pinning him under the beams.
Police said it was believed Balkwill wasn't licensed to operate the crane, which they alleged had been mechanically altered.
A GoFundMe set up for Phillips' family raised more than $15,000. The campaign said Phillips was a loving husband, father, brother, friend, son, uncle, cousin, colleague and grandfather.
Balkwill is scheduled to appear in June. The allegations against him have not been proven in court.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Cisco reveals security breach, warns of state-sponsored spy campaign
State-sponsored actors targeted security devices used by governments around the world, according to technology firm Cisco Systems, which said the network devices are coveted intrusion points by spies.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
opinion RFK Jr.'s presidential candidacy and its potential threat to Biden and Trump
Although it's still unclear how much damage Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s candidacy can do to either Joe Biden or Donald Trump this election, Washington political columnist Eric Ham says what is clear is both sides recognize the potential threat.
Haida elder suing Catholic Church and priest, hopes for 'healing and reconciliation'
The lawyer for a residential school survivor leading a proposed class-action defamation lawsuit against the Catholic Church over residential schools says the court action is a last resort.
First court appearance for boy and girl charged in death of Halifax 16-year-old
A girl and a boy, both 14 years old, made their first appearance today in a Halifax courtroom, where they each face a second-degree murder charge in the stabbing death of a 16-year-old high school student.
Opinion I just don't get Taylor Swift
It's one thing to say you like Taylor Swift and her music, but don't blame CNN's AJ Willingham's when she says she just 'doesn't get' the global phenomenon.
It's 30 years since apartheid ended. South Africa's celebrations are set against growing discontent
South Africa marked 30 years since the end of apartheid and the birth of its democracy with a ceremony in the capital Saturday that included a 21-gun salute and the waving of the nation's multicolored flag.