Guilty plea expected in Barrie hit-and-run that claimed international student's life

A 20-year-old man charged in connection with the death of an international student in Barrie could soon be entering a guilty plea.

Jacob Throop faces charges of dangerous driving causing death and failing to stop after an accident causing death.

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Police say Varsil Patel, a Georgian College student studying computer programming, was killed while crossing the intersection at Big Bay Point Road and Leggott Avenue on July 21, 2023. He was headed to work at the nearby Circle K convenience store.

Patel, originally from Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India, was 19.

Investigators said the vehicle left the scene. Officers found a car on fire at a nearby plaza on the corner of Huronia Road and Big Bay Point Road.

Days later, Barrie police searched the vehicle, hoping its computer system would provide clues into the alleged hit-and-run.

Throop was arrested shortly after and then released on bail. The allegations against him have not been tested in court.

The matter is expected to return to court in a week when it's expected a date will be set for Throop to enter a guilty plea.

A GoFundMe campaign launched to cover the costs of returning Patel's body to India and support his family, who he had been sending money to while in Barrie, raised more than $40,000 last year.