Child dies following accident at harness racing track in Woodstock, N.B.

Rhythm Rathi · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 15, 2025 10:50 AM EDT | Last Updated: 1 infinitesimal ago

Police successful Woodstock, N.B., are investigating a death that occurred during Saturday's harness racing paper astatine Connell Park Raceway.

In a societal media station precocious Saturday, constabulary accidental that they were investigating a "tragic incident" that resulted successful a fatality. Woodstock constabulary declined CBC's interrogation petition Sunday.

Theresa Blackburn, a newsman for the River Valley Sun successful Woodstock, said it was a three-year-old lad who was killed.

She was successful interaction with Deputy Police Chief Simon Watts connected Saturday.

Watts confirmed to Blackburn that the mishap happened erstwhile the lad was struck by the starting gate, she said.

She said: "There truly is simply a pall implicit the community. I mean it's Father's Day weekend. Harness racing is large here. We're present the hub for harness racing and it's ever a joyousness to person them present erstwhile … the horses are moving and there's crowds, and it's conscionable devastating and everyone is talking astir it but not successful a bully way. It's conscionable truly rather horrifying for everybody close now."

In Saturday's harness contention video, the announcer tin beryllium heard calling for an ambulance soon aft the 2nd contention begins. It is not wide from the video precisely what happened.

In harness racing, the starting gross is attached to a conveyance that guides the horses to the contention start.

Investigation underway

Racing continued for the remainder of the afternoon.

Mitchell Downey, president of Horse Racing New Brunswick, said successful an email that his enactment is assisting successful a joint probe with police, the Atlantic Provinces Harness Racing Commission and New Brunswick Coroner Services.  

"The full racing assemblage is profoundly saddened," helium said. "On behalf of each our participants we privation to explicit our deepest sympathies."

Every twelvemonth determination are much than 20,000 races successful North America, helium said.

"Over the past 30 years — 600,000 positive races — something arsenic tragic arsenic this has lone happened 3 times to my knowledge," said Downey.

The Town of Woodstock's assembly and unit are "all profoundly saddened," Mayor Trina Jones said successful an email.  

She thanked the bystanders who provided assistance until the archetypal responders could get astatine the scene.

"We recognize that the wide nationalist has a vested involvement successful knowing what happened, but for the payment of each it is important that the accusation is guided by information and the decision of the constabulary investigation," she said.

The way volition stay closed until the probe is completed.