Police in Kamloops have identified the driver of a car involved in a fatal hit-and-run on Seymour Street last October, who has since passed away.

A 48-year-old man was struck and killed, and the vehicle involved left the scene early in the morning on Oct. 20, 2018, near the BCLC building.

Cpl. Jodi Shelkie says the registered owner of the vehicle involved was a 75-year-old man from Kamloops.

“We were in the process of moving the investigation forward when we learned that the male had recently died,” she told Radio NL. “Evidence indicates that the 75-year-old deceased registered owner was the driver at the time of the collision and as such our file is now concluded.”

Shelkie says the suspect was linked to the incident through DNA after forensic testing of a 2000 Pontiac Bonnyville that was seized last November.

Police used fragmented pieces of the suspect vehicle from the scene and several surveillance videos to identify the make and model of the suspect vehicle and eliminate other vehicles that were in the area.

“While the vehicle’s make and model was known, we didn’t know where it would be because we didn’t have a licence plate number,” Shelkie said.

“Fortunately a police officer on patrol saw the vehicle and from there, we got a search warrant and forensically it was analyzed and positively placed at the scene of the hit and run through DNA.”

It was the third vehicle of interest in this case, after Kamloops RCMP initially identified a silver Dodge Neon and another blue vehicle, but later ruled them both out.

The 48-year-old man who was killed – Frank McDermott – had been released from RCMP custody about five-and-a-half hours prior to his death.

An inquiry by the Independent Investigations Office of BC found no fault with Mounties in the man’s death.