Two arrests made in connection with the death of a Kelowna teen
Posted October 25, 2023 6:50 pm.
Mounties in Kelowna say two people have been arrested in connection with a collision that resulted in the death of a 15-year-old boy.
The boy was the victim of a hit-and-run collision in the Rutland Area around 4 p.m. on Oct. 21. After being hit by the vehicle he was rushed to Kelowna General Hospital, where he died of his injuries the next morning.
The two arrested suspects have since been released while investigators look further into the collision and overarching incident in order to prepare charges.
“This is a sensitive homicide investigation. These investigations are lengthy and it is imperative they are done thoroughly,” Cpl. Michael Gauthier said in a release.
The Kelowna RCMP previously said police believed the teen’s death was related to a “bear spraying incident” reported moments prior to the crash. Officers received reports that he had been hit at a nearby intersection while they were dealing with the initial bear spray incident.
The teen’s mother Paule Seegar tells CityNews she isn’t looking for any kind of vengeful justice, she’d rather continue remembering her son in a positive light.
“The only justice would be my son running upstairs yelling, ‘mother’ the way he used to, and that’s never going to happen again,” she said.
Seegar and her family have felt an “outpouring of love and support” since the tragic loss of her son and wants people to remember him as a vibrant individual who could always bring laughter to those around him rather than being sad that he’s gone.
“We aren’t alone, we aren’t the only people that lost my son,” she said. “You always hear people say there’s a hole in your heart that will never be filled when you lose a child, but what people don’t seem to share is that the kindness of strangers and the sharing of grief just starts to just mend a little bit of that hole.”
Police say they will not provide any further details at this time, but ask anyone with firsthand or video evidence to call the Kelowna RCMP at 250-762-3300, or anonymously with Central Okanagan Crime Stoppers by phone at 1-800-222-8477 or online at www.crimestoppers.net.
