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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
National
Clare McCarthy

Man arrested and charged over fatal hit-and-run of young Irish man in Canada

A man has been charged over the fatal hit-and-run of young Irish man in Canada last summer.

Eoghan Byrne, 24, from Skerries in Dublin, tragically died when he was struck by a car as he crossed a road in Vancouver at 11.24pm on June 19, 2022.

The Trinity science graduate had been working for a local tech company in Vancouver for just a few months before the tragic collision.

READ MORE: Tributes paid to former Dublin city manager Frank Feely, who passed away at 91

Police in Vancouver say the alleged driver of the car involved is now facing charges including "criminal negligence causing death".

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Vancouver Police Department said that 26-year-old Romero-Arata has been arrested in connection with the incident after a "complex" investigation.

He has also been charged with failing to stop at the scene of an accident and public mischief.

Police said: "An alleged hit-and-run driver has been charged in connection with the hit-and-run death of a 24-year-old pedestrian in Kitsilano last June, following a complex Vancouver Police investigation.

"The victim and a friend were crossing West 4th Avenue at Arbutus Street around 11:30 p.m. June 19, 2022 when he was struck and killed. The driver failed to stop or offer assistance.

"Alexandre Romero-Arata, 26, has now been charged with criminal negligence causing death, fail to stop at the scene of an accident, and public mischief."

Constable Tania Visintin added: “Hit and run investigations can be lengthy, challenging and complex.

"In this case, investigators from VPD’s Collision Investigation Unit and Major Crime Section spent months gathering pertinent evidence that led to the identity of the person we believe was driving the vehicle when this tragic incident happened.”

Romero-Arata remains in custody until his next court appearance.

Eoghan is survived by his "heartbroken parents” Eugene and Mary as well as his siblings, Susan and James.

He had been working in Vancouver for Stemcell Technologies since April 2022 and his family hoped to visit with him not long after the fatal collision.

Police said Eoghan was walking close to his home when he was struck and killed near West 4th Avenue and Arbutus Street.

They said it was a grey sedan that was allegedly “travelling at high speed” and the driver did not stop and Eoghan died at the scene.

The car was later found abandoned.

The fatal collision was recorded by CCTV footage camera and shows Eoghan’s body flying across the road, nearly 100 metres from the crash site.

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