Crash victim Luke West remembered as aspiring lacrosse coach

Luke West is being remembered by the local lacrosse community as a loyal and happy person who will be missed greatly.

West was one of the six young people who was killed in a crash along a rural road near County Road 27 and McKay Road in south-end Barrie. The vehicle was located around 2 a.m., Sunday, but the investigation continues into what happened.

While BarrieToday has chosen not to publish the names of the victims until they can be confirmed, the Barrie Minor Lacrosse Association (BMLA) posted on its Facebook page about West's death. 

BMLA vice-president and Barrie Bombers Junior 'C' Lacrosse Club governor Jim Lowe spoke with BarrieToday Sunday morning about the tragedy and how it has affected the local sports community. 

Lowe, who indicated he was given permission by the family to speak to the media, said he not only knew the 22-year-old West as a lacrosse player and coach, but he also watched West grow up as a friend and teammate to his son.

“I’ve known him since Grade 3 or 4. He was this little chubby, short kid and the least athletic kid you could imagine seeing at that point,” Lowe said. “Then at the first tryouts, I watched him shoot and thought this little Grade 3'er shoots like a grown man.”

Lowe said he and the lacrosse community started to become aware of the missing group early Sunday morning. He told BarrieToday that he found out via phone call about West’s death while driving with his son, William, who was a longtime friend and teammate of West's.

“I broke down and cried. We were on Highway 400. William is the brains of the operation and told me to pull over, and we hugged and cried,” Lowe said. “Then I had to start calling people to make sure they heard from us and get the posts ready to inform the local lacrosse community.”

The BMLA said West is survived by his parents, David and Sue, and brother Mark.

The post said 'Westy' was part of Barrie lacrosse for almost his entire life, beginning at the paperweight level in the former Barrie Tornado organization. 

West played in five provincial championships and was a two-time Ontario Minor Field Lacrosse League provincial champion.

“I would sit with his dad, watching our kids play at a young age and then eventually coach others just starting out,” Lowe said. “I spoke with his dad today. What do you say? I didn’t know what to say.”

Lowe said it was the fact that West had started coaching himself at a young age that he deeply admired him.

“This young man was 22 and gave up his summers and time to be coaching young players. Who does that? Not many,” he said. “He cared so much for the game, yes, but for people and for growing the game in young players and showing the benefits of playing.”

Lowe said watching West grow up through the lacrosse world, he saw the respect that fellow players had for him, even noting that as he looked through old photos there were next to none that didn’t have West with someone else.

“He never wanted to be in the spotlight; he would always share it with others. Looking through old photos, he has a smile in every pic and that’s what I am thinking about right now — his happy demeanour and how people loved being with him.”

West’s teammate Carson Dunec echoed those sentiments.

“He was so loyal, as a friend or teammate. If you needed someone to have your back, in anything, Luke was that guy,” Dunec told BarrieToday on Sunday. “He wasn’t the biggest guy, but he was fiery and loyal. If a bigger person was picking on a friend of his, he would back them up no matter what.”

Dunec, 23, said he found out about West's death as the tragic news developed on social media. He followed the reports by police as the six people were missing and eventually found out from friends that West and the others had died in a car wreck. Barrie police say four males and two females, all in their early 20s, were killed. 

Dunec was driving home from Sudbury, where he's a firefighter, and said his thoughts were with the West family and then his own.

“As a first-responder myself, it's pretty difficult not only thinking about Luke and the others, but also thinking about whoever had to find the car first,” he said. “It also could have been anyone in that car; it could have been me. I know Luke’s parents well and I instantly thought of them and then how if it was me, what would my parents be going through.”

Dunec believes this tragedy will be felt and remembered by the community for a very long time.

“This is just devastating and will be felt widespread by the community for many, many years. Barrie is a big city, but still very much a small town,” he added. “You’re not likely to come across someone who didn’t at least know one of the six very well. Barrie is in for some sad, rough times in the weeks to come.”

The police investigation into what happened is ongoing.