Police in Woodstock, N.B., are investigating a death that occurred during Saturday’s harness racing card at Connell Park Raceway.
In a social media post late Saturday, police say that they were investigating a “tragic incident” that resulted in a fatality. Woodstock police declined CBC’s interview request Sunday.
Theresa Blackburn, a reporter for the River Valley Sun in Woodstock, said it was a three-year-old boy who was killed.
She was in touch with Deputy Police Chief Simon Watts on Saturday.
Watts confirmed to Blackburn that the accident happened when the boy was struck by the starting gate, she said.
She said: “There really is a pall over the community. I mean it’s Father’s Day weekend. Harness racing is big here. We’re now the hub for harness racing and it’s always a joy to have them here when … the horses are running and there’s crowds, and it’s just devastating and everyone is talking about it but not in a good way. It’s just really quite horrifying for everybody right now.”
In Saturday’s harness race video, the announcer can be heard calling for an ambulance shortly after the second race begins. It is not clear from the video exactly what happened.
In harness racing, the starting gate is attached to a vehicle that guides the horses to the race start.
Racing continued for the remainder of the afternoon.
Mitchell Downey, president of Horse Racing New Brunswick, said in an email that his organization is assisting in a joint investigation with police, the Atlantic Provinces Harness Racing Commission and New Brunswick Coroner Services.
“The entire racing community is deeply saddened,” he said. “On behalf of all our participants we wish to express our deepest sympathies.”
Every year there are more than 20,000 races in North America, he said.
“Over the last 30 years — 600,000 plus races — something as tragic as this has only happened three times to my knowledge,” said Downey.
The Town of Woodstock’s council and staff are “all deeply saddened,” Mayor Trina Jones said in an email.
She thanked the bystanders who provided help until the first responders could arrive at the scene.
“We understand that the general public has a vested interest in understanding what happened, but for the benefit of all it is important that the information is guided by fact and the conclusion of the police investigation,” she said.
The track will remain closed until the investigation is completed.
