Accidental death of child prompts safety review of Woodstock raceway

The death of a child during a harness race in western New Brunswick has prompted the suspension of races at the track where it happened, pending the outcome of a safety review.

The Town of Woodstock is conducting the safety review of the Connell Park Raceway after a three-year-old was fatally struck by a mobile starting gate as it was being towed down the track during a race on Saturday.

"We understand the immense effort, time, and resources that go into organizing community events," Woodstock Mayor Trina Jones said in a statement the town issued Tuesday.

"We are committed to working with our event partners to support them through this process. At the same time, we must ensure that due diligence is done to protect the public and prevent future accidents."

"As for harness racing, we have advised both NB Harness Racing and the Woodstock Driving Club that there will be no harness races allowed until we complete the full safety review," said Jones, who declined to be interviewed.

Connell Park Raceway was scheduled to host 11 harness race days this season, with last Saturday's being the opener.

The next event is scheduled for June 28, and it's unclear whether that will happen since there's no timeline for when the safety review will be completed, Jones said.

CBC News asked the Woodstock Driving Club and Horse Racing New Brunswick for interviews Tuesday but did not receive a response.

Horse Racing New Brunswick previously said it was co-operating with authorities in the investigation, and the Atlantic Provinces Harness Racing Commission said it was conducting its own investigation.

Woodstock police say the child died after being struck by the starting gate as it was being towed down the track past the raceway's grandstand.

Deputy Chief Simon Watts said police are considering the child's death an accident, though police have not yet said how the child got close enough to the track to get hit.

Other events possibly impacted

While other events might still proceed, that will depend on discussions between town officials and organizers, Jones said.

Ribfest, which is scheduled to run from Friday to Sunday, will use the Connell Park Raceway's inner track, she said.

Jones said town officials met with Ribfest organizers Tuesday to determine whether the event could proceed as initially planned.

"Their event will proceed as scheduled this weekend with some safety modifications added to address vehicle-ramming safety precautions," she said in an email.

However, another event, planned for the raceway on Sunday, will not proceed because there is not enough time to add modifications or conduct a proper review, she said.

"As the organizers have not yet had time to discuss with their full committee, nor had time to make an announcement, we will be withholding the name of the event," Jones said.

Town officials will be meeting with organizers for other events in the coming days to individually review whether they can proceed, she said.