The man facing possible prison time over a deadly hit-and-run in Vancouver two years ago has a long record of vehicle infractions — some of which he racked up after being arrested in the crash.
The family of the man killed in the crash, meanwhile, will have to wait until the new year for closure, with the defence’s sentencing submissions for the man who was behind the wheel delayed until January.
Alexandre Romero-Arata, 27, pleaded guilty to criminal negligence causing death for the June 2022 collision that left 24-year-old Irish man Eoghan Byrne dead.
At his sentencing hearing last week, a B.C. court heard he had been drinking prior to the crash, ran multiple red lights, and hit speeds of up to 152 kilometres per hour.
The court also heard of a troubling driving record that included 15 Motor Vehicle Act incidents in just 18 months.
Eight days after the deadly hit-and-run, he was caught driving without his learner’s “L” and two other infractions.
The following month, he was caught driving without a licence, failing to display his “L” again and failing to notify of a change of address.
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On July 18, 2022, B.C.’s superintendent of motor vehicles handed him a three-year driving prohibition.
But — that didn’t stop him from getting behind the wheel.
Romero-Arata was caught twice driving while prohibited in the following months: once in August, as he was driving away from traffic court, and again on New Year’s Eve during a Port Coquitlam traffic stop.
Romero-Arata was arrested for the hit-and-run on February 21, 2023, and remained in custody until March 10, when he was released with a $5,000 bond and under strict conditions including 24-hour house arrest and electronic monitoring.
But records show just five hours later, he had left his home.
Officials also discovered him out of his house during four other checks in a 24-hour period, and days later he failed to show up for his electronic bracelet fitting.
Crown prosecutors told the court they tracked him using financial tools, which showed him taking Uber rides to his father’s home.
Police arrested him again on May 11 after surveillance, and kept him in custody.
Romero-Arata was also charged with assault causing bodily harm and assault with a weapon in relation to an alleged incident in March 2022, however, those charges were stayed when the Crown’s sole witness was unable to positively identify him in court.
On Friday at Romero-Arata’s sentencing hearing for the fatal crash, shocking videos were shown. They were recorded by a passenger in his vehicle as he sped through multiple red lights shortly before hitting Byrne.
In the videos, Romero-Arata can at one point be seen laughing and saying, “I ain’t stopping for no red light.”
Vancouver lawyer Kyla Lee, who is not connected to the case, said the content of the videos could suggest he will face the stiffer end of the sentencing range for criminal negligence causing death.
“Generally speaking with these types of cases, we see jail sentences in the range of two to five years as being relatively normal,” she said.
“That type of evidence makes it more likely to lead to a higher sentence in a case like this, especially given the conduct of the person and the lack of insight and remorse.”
Lee said if the case had gone to trial, a judge may have even imposed a stiffer sentence. Pleading guilty, she said, is considered a mitigating factor because it saves court time and spares the victim’s family the traumatic experience of a trial.
Prosecutors are seeking five years in prison and a 15-year driving ban.
Romero-Arata’s defence is scheduled to make its sentencing submissions on Jan. 20, 2025.
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