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OPP charge North Middlesex man after teen’s death on a farm

October 9, 2025

A North Middlesex man is facing a criminal charge after a farming accident which claimed the life of a Thedford teen.

Sept. 20 Middlesex OPP, Lambton paramedics and local firefighters were called to a farm on Parkhill Drive in North Middlesex, northwest of Parkhill where the Thedford teen was found unconscious in a well on the property. The 15-year-old was pronounced dead at the hospital.

A GoFundMe page set up by family friends identified the teen as James Aaron Brown “an angel on earth— kind, gentle, and full of life.”

The OPP and the Ministry of Labour launched an investigation. Thursday (Oct. 9) Middlesex OPP said 58-year-old Cornelis Verheyen of North Middlesex has been charged with causing death by criminal negligence.

Verheyen is out on bail and will be back in court Dec. 18.


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