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Man charged in fatal Calgary hit and run has history of impaired driving charges

WATCH ABOVE: Global News has identified 58-year-old Robert Varley as the man charged with a deadly hit and run that killed Farida Abdurahman late Monday night. Global’s Tracy Nagai reports.

CALGARY — Charges have been laid in connection with a hit and run that killed a Calgary woman late Monday night.

Robert Varley was charged with hit and run causing death.

Police allege the 58-year-old hit Farida Abdurahman, 33, in a marked crosswalk at Centre Street North and 43rd Avenue.

Police say Varley fled the scene. A vehicle was found in the city’s northeast a few hours later and Varley was taken into custody Tuesday evening.

Abdurahman was taken to the Foothills Medical Centre in critical, life-threatening condition, where she later died from her injuries.

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Friends said she came to Calgary six years ago from Ethiopia and had recently celebrated becoming a Canadian citizen.

Family and friends planned a funeral for Wednesday. A GoFundMe account has been set up to help family deal with the costs.

Varley has no criminal record in Alberta, but was charged with impaired driving and failing to provide samples in a February 2003 incident in Richmond, B.C. He was convicted of a lesser charge of “drive without due care and attention” in August 2004 and fined $300. In a June 2005 incident, Varley was found not guilty of impaired driving. In September 2009, he was charged with impaired driving but found guilty of the lesser offence of “driving without reasonable consideration” in September 2011.

Varley is set to appear in court on Aug. 24 in relation to Monday’s hit and run in Calgary.

WATCH: One man is in custody facing a charge of hit-and-run causing death after 33-year-old Farida Abdurahman was hit and killed late Monday night. Global’s Nancy Hixt reports.

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