Bail granted for 2 charged with street racing causing death

Two men charged with street racing causing death after an accident on the New Harbour Barrens have been granted bail.

​Brian Robert King, 30, and Steven Ryan Mercer, 29, appeared in provincial court in Harbour Grace Tuesday.

They were released on $5,000 bail, with a curfew of 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. daily, except for work or to meet with lawyers. They are also prohibited from drinking alcohol and are not allowed to drive. Mercer will have to live with his parents.

The pair were arrested Saturday after an investigation into the July 7 accident.

King and Mercer were allegedly racing on the highway over the barrens when King's pickup slammed into a vehicle, killing 18-year-old Hannah Thorne. The driver, Thorne's grandmother, sustained serious injuries.

On Tuesday, family and supporters piled into the courtroom, where sheriff's officers and RCMP officers requested that they stop showing photos of the deceased girl.

They had been told by the judge on Monday that they were not allowed to bring photos into the courtroom.