Mother of teen killed in Burnaby hit and run pleads for driver, witnesses to come forward

One of Nicole Seguin's favourite memories of her son Damien takes her back to a farm in Peachland, B.C., where a friendly horse seemed to single out her young son each time they visited.

"We would all walk together and the horse would always come galloping toward Damien and not us," she said.

Memories of Damien's childhood and photos from that time are all she has left to remember him.

The 19-year-old died after being struck by a driver who fled the scene in the early morning hours of March 26 in Burnaby.

Nicole's shock and immense grief is mixed with feelings of anger and frustration at the fact no one has come forward with information about the driver or the vehicle that hit her son.

"This is a life that was taken not only from Damien, he was taken from many loved ones," Seguin said.

Driver fled the scene

According to the RCMP, Damien was in one of three vehicles whose drivers and passengers got into some sort of confrontation near an intersection on Marine Drive in Burnaby.

At one point, someone from one of the vehicles pepper-sprayed people in another vehicle.

Damien got out of the vehicle he was in and, shortly after, was hit by a car whose driver fled the scene, according to the RCMP.

His mother, who lives in West Kelowna with her three younger children, got a call from a family friend in Burnaby who told her that Damien was in hospital, clinging to life.

She drove to the Lower Mainland in the morning and spent the next three days at his bedside before he died.

"It's just heartbreaking," she said. "The last days in the hospital I just held him, I sang to him, I whispered in his ear that I was proud of him."

Just starting life as an adult

Damien graduated from Burnaby South secondary last spring and was just starting his adult life, Nicole said.

"Damien was always funny, always goofing around, but at the same time, he was such a loveable kid," she said.

"He was just an all-around really, really well-mannered kid ... I just wonder why something like this happens to someone so good who brought so much happiness to so many lives."

Someone knows something

Burnaby RCMP Cpl. Mike Kalanj said investigators believe the car that struck Damien was a silver or champagne Nissan Altima, 2002 to 2006 model, that likely sustained damage in the collision.

Several tips have come in since the RCMP released details of the suspect vehicle but Kalanj said police have not arrested anyone in connection with the hit and run.

"What we find is [in cases like this] someone knows something and maybe is scared. Whether they were at the incident or they if they know someone that was at it — it is hard for people to keep this kind of stuff in," Kalanj said.

"We want someone who knows something to come forward because we have families here that are grieving and friends that are grieving."

Nicole is also pleading for someone who knows about the vehicle or driver to reach out to police.

"They can come forward anonymously and clear their conscience and do the right thing," she said.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Burnaby RCMP at 604-646-9999.