Man charged after Kelowna, B.C. teen killed in hit-and-run: RCMP

A man has been charged in relation to a hit-and-run in Kelowna, B.C. last October, which led to the death of Tristan Seeger, 15.

Seeger's death following the incident near the city's Ben Lee Park on Oct. 21, 2023, prompted an outpouring of grief, with many remembering the teenager as tenacious and wise beyond his years at a large, public ceremony.

Brandon Kazakoff, 30, was charged with the dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death, failure to stop at the scene of an accident and assault with a weapon, according to RCMP in Kelowna, about 390 kilometres east of Vancouver. He's expected to be in court on Monday.

RCMP did not provide further details about the charges in a Friday statement.

Tristan Seeger wanted to be a lawyer when he grew up, according to his best friend Casey Conlan. (Paule Seeger/Facebook)

Last year, they said they were investigating Seeger's death as a homicide.

His death came after he was struck near Houghton Road and Franklyn Road, at the southeast corner of Ben Lee Park, around 4 p.m. PT on Oct. 21.

A bench at Ben Lee Park was turned into a memorial for teenager Tristan Seeger, who was fatally struck by a vehicle on Oct. 21, 2023. (Jay Bertagnolli/CBC)

The fatal crash came shortly after police were called to respond to a "group of teens" using bear spray on a number of people near Ben Lee Park in Kelowna's Rutland neighbourhood.

Police said at the time that the collision was related to the bear spray incident, though they did not specify how they may have been linked.

Following Seeger's death, a memorial at Ben Lee Park — near where the collision happened — saw numerous teddy bears and a heart-shaped balloons placed on a bench in memory of the teenager.

Family and friends said he wanted to be a lawyer when he grew up, and often volunteered for church events.