Vancouver police announced Friday that after a 32-month investigation officers have made an arrest in the 2016 hit-and-run death of Ryan Barron.
Amanpreet Sohal, 23, was arrested Thursday and is facing charges of failure to stop at an accident causing bodily harm and dangerous driving causing death.
Barron, 30, was skateboarding with a friend on Heather Street near West 54th Avenue at around 2:30 a.m. on April 17, 2016 when he was hit by a vehicle. The driver allegedly drove away without stopping or offering assistance. Barron was taken to hospital with serious injuries and died a short time later.
Vancouver police media relations officer Const. Jason Doucette said that Barron had recently moved to Vancouver for work.
“His life was on a great path,” he said, adding that Barron had just received a promotion at work.
Two days after the crash, investigators located the vehicle believed to be involved in the incident at a home in East Vancouver. It was seized and processed for evidence, including DNA testing.
“It was a long, drawn out investigation and at no time did our investigators give up,” Doucette said.
“Our job is to work on behalf of Ryan and his family to ensure the person responsible for his death is held accountable for their action,” he said. “Our collision investigators worked tirelessly on this complex, lengthy and difficult investigation, and we are pleased charges have been laid.”
@JessicaEKerr
jkerr@vancourier.com
