Charges laid in deadly boat crash at Toronto beach

Video shows moments before Toronto boat crash A viewer video shows the moments before a boat crashed into the rocks at Woodbine beach, killing one person and injuring six others.

TORONTO — A 46-year-old man is now facing charges after a boat crash at Toronto’s Woodbine Beach earlier this month left one person dead.

It was just after 12:30 p.m. on Sept. 3 when a 20-foot bowrider vessel crashed into the rocks alongside the shoreline at the east-end beach while six passengers were on board.

Police said the driver lost control of the boat.

Witnesses at the scene reported that the boat was travelling at a high-rate of speed before it crashed.

A short video obtained by CTV News Toronto after the crash showed how fast the boat was going.

“The boat was just flying across all the buoys here,” Alan Thompson, who witnessed the crash, said. “Just whipping across, between the buoy and the rocks it took a hard turn and then it almost flipped and then when it went back on its right side it just smashed right into the rocks.”

A 47-year-old male passenger was transported from the scene to hospital in life-threatening condition. He was pronounced dead a short time later.

Three other people were taken to hospital and three others were treated by paramedics at the scene.

On Thursday, investigators announced that charges had been laid in the case.

Markham resident Thamilagan Olivernicholas now faces one count of criminal negligence causing death and two counts of criminal negligence causing bodily harm.