Police have identified the two people killed in a hit-and-run crash Wednesday afternoon in Coquitlam.
Juan Jose Rosales, 76, and Marta Dolores Rosales, 66, were crossing Austin Avenue at Gatensbury Street when they were struck and killed at around 3:30 p.m.
Witnesses said a driver who was turning left onto Austin from Gatensbury slowed down after the collision but quickly fled the scene.
Mounties located a grey truck and a person of interest who is associated with the vehicle but charges have yet to be laid.
Coquitlam RCMP Cpl. Jamie Chung confirmed that after the crash, another driver who witnessed the incident followed the truck east on Austin to a nearby home and phoned police.
"We have located the vehicle in question and it has been secured," Chung said. "We also located a male associated with the vehicle and have him under arrest."
He added that as of Thursday morning, police were still in the process of obtaining a search warrant for the truck.
The incident led to the closure of Austin between Marmont and Schoolhouse, snarling Wednesday afternoon rush-hour traffic. By 9:30 p.m., police were able to reopen the road.
Investigators are still searching for witnesses and said anyone who has any information should contact the Coquitlam RCMP at 604-945-1550 and quote file number 2013-34951. Those who wish to provide information anonymously can do so by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS or by going to www.solvecrime.ca.
This is the second time since the summer that the Tri-Cities has seen a deadly hit and run accident.
In September, 15-year-old Annie Leung, a student at Riverside secondary school in Port Coquitlam, was struck and killed by a driver in a pickup truck who quickly fled the scene.
That incident occurred at Mary Hill and Pitt River roads and police are still searching for a suspect.
