As the one-year anniversary of Tristan Seeger’s death approaches, police have finally made an arrest and laid charges in connection to the fatal hit-and-run that ended the teen's life.
Brandon Kazakoff, 30, has been charged with dangerous operation causing death, failure to stop or remain at the scene of an accident and assault with a weapon.
The Kelowna RCMP says he was arrested Friday.
The incident that killed 15-year-old Tristan Seeger happened in Rutland, near Ben Lee Park, late in the afternoon of Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023.
Police were initially called to the area for reports of a bear spraying incident involving a group of teenagers and several people being sprayed.
While investigating those reports, officers were made aware that a pedestrian had been struck by a vehicle at the nearby intersection of Houghton Road and Franklin Road.
It was Seeger who was hit and rushed to hospital in critical condition, where he later died from his injuries.
At the time, police said they believed the two incidents were connected and Seeger was associated with the group allegedly deploying bear spray nearby.
“This is a very sensitive investigation and it is essential that we conduct it methodically and thoroughly to get it right,” Cpl. Michael Gauthier said at the time.
Four days after the incident, two people were arrested in relation to the homicide investigation, but later released from custody.
As police tried to piece together the case, the Rutland community mourned the youth’s death with a candlelight vigil in Ben Lee Park the night after he was killed.
“While I knew he was loved…I was speechless,” Paule Seeger, Tristan’s mother, told KelownaNow following the highly-attended vigil.
Seeger’s celebration of life was eventually held on Saturday, Nov. 4, two weeks after his death.
