Driver may not be aware they struck, killed 21-year-old father on Vancouver Island: RCMP

An RCMP vehicle is seen in an undated file photo.

Mounties say a hit-and-run driver who struck and killed a 21-year-old father on Vancouver Island last week may not be aware they hit someone.

Snuneymuxw First Nation resident Charles Tommy was killed on Oct. 24 when he was struck by a vehicle on Harmac Road, south of Nanaimo.

In a news release Thursday, the Nanaimo RCMP said witnesses reported seeing Tommy standing on the shoulder of the road and lying in the roadway before he was struck near the Cedar Road Bridge around 7 p.m.

"The driver of the vehicle involved may not be aware that they struck a person," the release said.

"Police have taken numerous statements and collected both dash cam footage and video surveillance from the area and are actively reviewing the video in an attempt to identify the vehicle involved."

Bystanders and first responders provided first aid to the victim, but he died at the scene, according to a police statement.

Tommy was identified by family as a loving father of a seven-month-old son. He was known for his sense of humour, which earned him the nickname "Chuckles," police said.

Tommy was also an avid fisherman who regularly shared his catch with Snuneymuxw elders.

"His parents are devastated at the loss of their eldest child and only son," the news release said.

Investigators are urging the driver who struck Tommy to come forward to provide closure for the family.

"At this time, the Nanaimo RCMP will not be issuing any further comment on the investigation," the news release said.

Mounties are also asking the public for help identifying the vehicle and its driver.

Anyone with information related to the fatal collision is asked to call the Nanaimo RCMP non-emergency line at 250-754-2345.