Skip to content
Join our Newsletter

'Russian roulette': B.C. fatal hit-and-run driver jailed five years

Eoghan Byrne was struck and killed while crossing West 4th Avenue at Arbutus Street in June 2022.
vpc-pic-nov-20-2023
Vancouver Provincial Court.

A Vancouver Provincial Court judge has sentenced an impaired driver to five years in prison for hitting and killing an Irish tech worker in Vancouver on June 19, 2022.

Alexandre Romero-Arata, 28, pleaded guilty on Nov. 29, 2023 in connection with the incident that claimed the life of Eoghan Byrne.

“While under the influence of alcohol, he decided to play Russian Roulette with the lives of many, the significance differences being, the others had no choice, the others did not know they were at risk and that the item of destruction was an automobile and not a firearm,” Judge Reginald Harris said in his Dec. 20 sentencing ruling.

Byrne and a friend were crossing West 4th Avenue at Arbutus Street on the late evening of the incident when he was struck and killed.

The driver failed to stop or offer assistance, police alleged.

“Mr. Romero-Arata drove in a grossly dangerous manner and in doing so he demonstrated a callous and arrogant disregard for the lives of other motorists, pedestrians and his own passenger,” Harris said. “In doing so, he struck and tragically killed Eoghan Byrne, a pedestrian who was crossing the road.”

Romero-Arata was initially charged with criminal negligence causing death, failure to stop at the scene of an accident and public mischief.

The sentence is a step up from the five years Crown prosecutor Mark Myhre sought and the three years defence lawyer Sarah Leamon suggested.

"I find that the sentence of two to three years, as suggested by counsel for Mr. Romero-Arata, would not be proportionate and not adequately address the sentencing objectives, thereby failing to protect the public," Harris said.

Byrne family victim impact statements

Byrne’s mother Mary, father Eugene, sister Susan and brother James read victim impact statements to the court.

“The pain and personal toll it has taken on our family is horrific. There simply are no words to adequately explain,” his father said. “I see the pain everywhere, from his mum writing in her diary every night telling Eoghan what happened today, to his siblings Susan and James, how their lives have changed forever, with daily visits to Eoghan’s grave and new anniversaries to be marked, trying to come to terms with Eoghan’s loss.”

Mary said she tries to preserve his memory by smelling his clothes or touching a picture of him each night. Harris said Mary is haunted by his memory.

“The void in our lives, the utter sadness at the realization that no matter how much you want things to change, some things are forever broken and no amount of time will ever make them whole again,” she told the court.

High-speed driving through red lights

Harris said Romero-Arata, then 25, had been drinking with a female friend in the Granville Street entertainment district.

At about 10:10 p.m., they left the Granville Street area and they travelled in Romero-Arata’s vehicle to the West End where they went to a park. Romero-Arata continued drinking.

They returned to Romero-Arata’s vehicle, at which point the friend told him that she felt he was not good to drive and he agreed.

She began driving to where she had parked her vehicle but she was directed by Romero-Arata to drive over the Burrard Street Bridge. She complied and she drove over the bridge and into the Kitsilano area.

Once in the Kitsilano area, Romero-Arata told the friend to pull over and once stopped, Romero-Arata told her that he was going to drive. She told him that she thought he shouldn’t drive to which he said, “Just trust me, I’m gonna drive, just get out.”

She complied with the direction and he began driving.

He drove along Kitsilano beach at a high speed while playing music at a loud volume, the court heard. She asked on several occasions for him to take her back to her car.

Ultimately, he agreed and he headed on West 4th Avenue toward downtown.

“At this stage, his speed varied between 96 km/h and 152 km/h as he drove through red lights at Alma Street, Yew Street and Vine Street,” Harris said. “The speed limit throughout was 50 km/h.”

The friend recorded two video clips as Romero-Arata drove.

“These clips show him speeding through red lights without any effort to slow,” Harris said. “They confirm other cars in the area and pedestrians on the sidewalks. On one occasion, Mr. Romero-Arata had to manoeuvre around a slower vehicle. One of the videos records Mr. Romero-Arata’s speed as 140 km/h.”

At one point, he took his hands off the wheel. Despite the friend’s protests, he ran red lights.

At another time, a bus driver thought Romero-Arata was going to hit his vehicle.

“He estimated that Mr. Romero-Arata was travelling over 100 km/h,” Harris said.

The collision

As Romero-Arata sped along West 4th Avenue, Byrne and Michael McGovern were walking home.

As the two men were crossing, McGovern noticed Romero-Arata speeding toward them. McGovern came to a stop and extended his left arm in an attempt to stop Byrne, who was slightly ahead of him.

“Then, and within a few steps of entering the eastbound lane, Mr. Romero-Arata’s vehicle struck Mr. Byrne,” Harris said. “The time between the extended arm and Mr. Byrne being struck was a fraction of a second.”

Romero-Arata’s friend saw the two pedestrians and cried, “Watch out! Watch out!”

“Mr. Romero-Arata did not slow, nor did he try and steer away from Mr. Byrne or Mr. McGovern, rather, and pursuant to the agreed statement of facts, he sped up,” Harris said.

The female friend “briefly closed her eyes, she thought everything was OK but then she heard a bang and saw that the windshield was smashed and bloody,” the judge said.

Byrne was catapulted upwards and into the windshield, which instantly killed him. He suffered catastrophic injuries which Glacier Media has chosen not to detail. His body was found 80 metres from the point of impact.

Romero-Arata stopped for about 10 seconds; he then entered a nearby lane and parked. His friend told him he had hit someone and he said, “No, no, no, you just need to get out.”

She got out of the car and ran down the lane. Romero-Arata exited the vehicle a short time later and walked away.

“These events were captured on CCTV,” Harris said.

Romero-Arata’s arrest

The morning after the collision, Romero-Arata called 911 at 11:08 a.m. and reported his vehicle stolen.

“In doing so, he created a story of fantasy wherein he falsely alleged that he had been attacked by a person known to him and that the person had stolen his car keys and his car. The story was detailed, comprehensive and presented without hesitation,” Harris said.

“Mr. Romero-Arata’s deceit was for the obvious sole reason of trying to avoid responsibility for having killed Mr. Bryne,” Harris said.

After speaking with the 911 operator, Romero-Arata called his female friend multiple times. He told her he had called the police and reported his vehicle stolen.

“He told her he loved her platonically and that he wanted her to ‘stay solid,’” Harris said.

Romero-Arata was arrested five hours after the 911 call. A police search of his residence found recently washed clothes and broken windshield glass.

“Byrne’s blood was located on an interior wall and on Mr. Romero-Arata’s wristwatch,” Harris said.

Romero-Arata had been released on $5,000 bail on March 10, 2023 with a 24-hour house arrest order. He was back in custody before a May 12, 2023 appearance prior to which two warrants had been issued for his arrest March 13 and March 30, 2023.

He also has convictions for sexual assault, Harris said.

Romero-Arata served 608 days in pre-sentence custody, which the court credited at two years and six months.

The balance remaining to be served is two years and six months.

Romero-Arata had been released on bail before other warrants led to him returning to custody. He had been ordered to live at his mother's North Vancouver home as part of those bail orders.