The Georgian College student killed Friday night in a south-end Barrie collision is being described by his cousin as a “social person with lots of friends.”
Varsil Patel, 19, was killed July 21 after being struck by a vehicle while he was walking near Big Bay Point Road and Leggott Avenue. The crash happened just after 10 p.m. Police say Patel was pronounced dead at the scene.
Patel’s cousin, who lives in Mississauga, said the family is grieving back in India and trying to get the body home.
“They are not a wealthy family and have raised money thanks to the generosity of many,” said Rajan, who asked that his last name not be published. “He was an only child and was working and going to school to help his family.”
A GoFundMe account was created on July 22 and closed on July 24 after raising more than $42,000. The page said the money will be used primarily for funeral costs and transfer services to India, with the rest deposited in Patel's father's account to assist the family.
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.
The driver, a 19-year-old Barrie man, was arrested at the scene and has been charged with dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death and failure to stop after a collision causing death.
He was held for a bail hearing and released from custody Saturday afternoon. The accused is scheduled to return to court on Monday, Aug. 28.
Due to a court-imposed publication ban, Barrie police say the name of the accused cannot be released.
Barrie police communications co-ordinator Peter Leon said investigators are working to obtain a search warrant for the car in order to take a closer look at the vehicle's computer system. This could give them a better idea of what the vehicle was doing at the time of the crash, he said.
Patel worked at the Circle K in the plaza at Big Bay Point Road and Leggott Avenue, near where he was struck and killed. However, his cousin was unsure if he was leaving or on his way to work with the collision happened. Employees at the story declined to comment.
Patel was from Ahmedabad Gujarat, India. He was attending Georgian College where he was studying computer science. Rajan confirmed his cousin had begun his studies at Georgian College last year.
Georgian College issued a message of condolence on Tuesday in relation to Patel's death.
"The Georgian College community is saddened to confirm Varsil Patel, a student in our computer programming program, was the victim of a tragic vehicle accident the night July 21 in south Barrie," the statement said. "Our college community offers our deepest condolences to Varsil's family and his friends, classmates and instructors."
The Georgian College flag at the Barrie campus has been lowered to half-mast in his memory.
College officials are also reminding students and employees that free and confidential counselling is available.
Students can book an in-person or virtual counselling appointment by calling 1-877-722-1523 or emailing studentsuccess@
International students can contact keep.meSAFE 24/7 by calling 416-380-6578 or downloading the My SSP App. Employees who need to speak with someone are encouraged to use the college's employee and family assistance program.
This is the second international student to be killed in the city as the result of a vehicle collision.
On Tuesday, June 27, Maharab Hassan, 20, an international student who had arrived in Canada only three months ago from Bangladesh, was struck and killed by a vehicle while walking along Highway 400 near the Dunlop Street exit.
Anyone with information on the July 21 crash, including witnesses or people with dash-can footage from the area around the time of the crash, can contact Det. Const. Douglas Avery of the Barrie police traffic unit at 705-725-7025, ext. 2647.
