A 16-year-old Barrie driver with a G2 licence has been charged with Dangerous Driving Causing Bodily Harm after a high-speed crash sent a 67-year-old man to hospital with serious injuries. The two-vehicle collision happened just before 1 a.m. on July 6, 2026, at Country Lane and Dean Avenue in south Barrie’s Painswick South neighbourhood.
According to the Barrie Police Service, the teen was driving at excessive speeds with multiple passengers when the collision occurred. The force of the impact sent both vehicles off the road and onto the front lawn of a nearby home. Police confirmed the house itself was not damaged.
The 67-year-old victim, a Barrie resident, was taken to hospital with serious injuries. The teen driver was not hurt. Police formally charged the 16-year-old on July 7, one day after the collision. The charge of Dangerous Driving Causing Bodily Harm carries a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison under Canada’s Criminal Code.
The crash happened during the overnight hours when Ontario’s graduated licensing rules impose passenger limits on young G2 drivers. For the first six months of holding a G2 licence, drivers aged 19 and under can carry only one passenger aged 19 or under between midnight and 5 a.m. After six months, the limit rises to three such passengers. Police have not confirmed whether the teen was following these rules at the time of the crash, but the presence of multiple passengers raises questions.
Barrie police are reminding all drivers to follow the rules of the road and to be aware of the restrictions that come with graduated licences. They say the collision is a stark reminder of the dangers of speeding, especially for inexperienced drivers.
