Motorist accused of killing cyclist found deceased

Criminal charges against the motorist charged in the recent death of a Windsor cyclist were dropped on Wednesday.

According to the local Crown’s office, the accused person was recently discovered deceased.

Kelsey Barkovsky, 28, of Windsor had been charged in April with impaired driving causing death, exceeding the legal blood alcohol level and leaving the scene of an accident causing death after cyclist Ken McEldowney, 58, was struck on March 25 while cycling.

McEldowney died on April 2 from injuries sustained in the collision on Wyandotte Street West between Crawford and Caron avenues. According to police investigators, Barkovsky was initially arrested near “an establishment” on March 26 and charged in the hit and run. She was arrested again on April 5 and charged in the cyclist’s death after he succumbed to multiple severe injuries.

Both the local Crown’s office and Barkovsky’s lawyer confirmed her death, but neither would provide further information.

“All I know is that she passed. I was informed June 10,” said defense lawyer Bobby Russon.

“We are unable to confirm any further details,” Ashley Dale, operations manager at the local Crown attorney’s office, said in an email Wednesday.

A photo by the McEldowney family showing a tribute to Ken McEldowney where he was struck on his bicycle on Wyandotte Street West between Crawford and Caron Avenue in Windsor. (Photo courtesy of McEldowney family) Photo by Amanda McEldowney /Windsor Star

Barkovsky’s next appearance in the Ontario Court of Justice was set for next week. Russon said the case was still in its early stages and that he had not yet discussed with her whether she was contemplating fighting the charges.

“It was too early to tell what her intentions were,” he said, describing the young woman as “a nice person” in his two meetings with her.

“I feel for all the parties,” Russon said of the families directly impacted.

McEldowney had been cycling downtown to meet family members to play pool when he was struck shortly before midnight. A witness was able to give police a vehicle description and license plate number and an arrest followed that night near an establishment in the 300 block of Mill Street.

A makeshift memorial was set up near the spot of the collision, and a GoFundMe account raised nearly $6,000 towards the victim’s funeral expenses.

It’s the second time in a month that serious charges in an Ontario Court of Justice case were withdrawn by the Crown following the sudden death of an accused. The aggravated assault case against Dwane Pierce, 30, ended in May with his death. He had been charged two weeks after a violent attack against local cabbie Sobhi Srour on March 12.

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