The family and friends of a man killed in a Vancouver hit-and-run last year are still waiting for someone to be held accountable.
Ryan Barron was struck by a car while skateboarding along Heather Street in the early morning hours of April 17, 2016. The 30-year-old was rushed to hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
“There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think about him,” said Ian Dummer, a friend and bandmate. “He means a lot to a lot of people.”
Days after Barron was killed, a badly damaged 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer was seized from a home in East Vancouver.
More than a year and a half later, however, police have not made any arrests or recommended any charges.
Vancouver police say the investigation is still active. Detectives have spoken with the vehicle’s owner and believe they know who was driving, but have been unable to reach a conclusion that would see justice served.
“The reason that it’s often difficult is quite simply to determine who is the driver,” said criminal defence lawyer Paul Doroshenko.
Surveillance video or even DNA evidence can help prove someone was behind the wheel, but police are often looking for someone to talk, he added.
“Sometimes it’s a statement from the driver to a co-worker or something like that,” Doroshenko said.
Barron was from Ontario, but was living in Vancouver. After the incident, grieving relatives travelled west to join police in a plea for information.
“It’s been hard…a lot of people are wondering why nothing’s happened at this point,” said Mike Budinsky, another one of Barron’s friends. “Everyone’s just looking for closure.”
For now, Barron’s memory lives on at a skate park in Windsor, Ont. where there are also plans to build a skateboard bowl named for him as a way to remember his life while his loved ones wait for someone to be held accountable.
“I’m sure it wasn’t intentional, but at the same time, you did it and you did something very wrong and you took someone’s life,” Dummer said. “We need to see justice.”
Anyone with information on the hit-and-run is asked to contact the Vancouver Police Department at 604-717-3012 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).
With files from CTV Vancouver’s Maria Weisgarber
