A 26-year-old man has been charged in a hit-and-run crash that killed a pedestrian in Vancouver last June.
The collision, which was caught on a nearby surveillance camera, sent the 24-year-old victim flying several metres down the road.
On Wednesday, the Vancouver Police Department announced that Alexandre Romero-Arata has been charged with criminal negligence causing death, failing to stop at the scene of an accident, and public mischief, following a "complex" investigation.
The victim and a friend were crossing West 4th Avenue at Arbutus Street around 11:30 p.m. on June 19 when the crash occurred.
The video of the incident shows a car racing down West 4th at a high rate of speed. It does not stop after the impact.
About 30 seconds later, another motorist stops and gets out of the car to check on the victim. That driver remained on scene and other onlookers could be seen covering the body with a blanket.
First responders arrived a few minutes later.
Two days after the crash, the VPD announced that it had arrested the person it believed to be the driver, as well as a family member who it believed may have acted as an accomplice after the collision.
Police did not say Wednesday whether the person they arrested last summer was Romero-Arata, nor did they announce any charges against any other individuals in the case.
The victim was identified in the days after the incident as Eoghan Byrne, an Irishman who had begun working for a local tech company just a few months earlier.
In a statement provided to CTV News at the time, STEMCELL Technologies said Byrne was "an exceptionally kind soul" who had quickly grown close to his work colleagues.
“All of us are deeply saddened by Eoghan’s sudden and unexpected passing, and our hearts are with his family during this extremely difficult time," the company said.
Byrne's loved ones posted on an Irish memorial site, describing him as an “adored son” and “beautiful brother” who is survived by his “heartbroken parents, doting siblings” and a “wide circle of special friends.”
Romero-Arata remains in custody pending his next court appearance, according to the VPD.
“Hit and run investigations can be lengthy, challenging and complex,” said Const. Tania Visintin, in the release.
“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.”
