‘Hole in my heart that we will never fill’: 15-year-old killed in pedestrian collision in Kelowna

Friends and family of a 15-year-old boy who was killed Saturday after being struck by a vehicle in Kelowna’s Rutland neighborhood are mourning.

The collision happened near the intersection of Houghton and Franklyn Roads at around 4 p.m. and Tristan Seeger was later identified as the victim of the crash.

Tristan’s mother, Paule Seeger confirmed he succumbed to his injuries Sunday morning.

“He went into the hospital around 4 p.m. Saturday afternoon, he was in bad condition the whole way,” said Seeger.

“The amazing staff at Kelowna General Hospital worked tirelessly throughout the night,  from the time my son came into the hospital they worked to save his life. Finally, at 10:30 a.m., there were no options, his injuries were too catastrophic.”

Seeger couldn’t get into detail about what happened Saturday afternoon, as it is under investigation by the RCMP. However, she said believes a man singled out her son and hit him with a vehicle.

“I don’t want retribution I don’t want people taking things into their own hands, I don’t want this being anything other than everyone doing what they need to do to figure out how to get justice for my son,” said Seeger.

“I want the coward to know that he may have killed my son, but he will never kill his memory.”

A vigil was held Sunday afternoon at Ben Lee Park, near the intersection where the incident happened, in memory of Tristan Seeger.

“He has these people who love him and he’s loved, and when he passed he was surrounded by friends and family. It was as beautiful as it can be,” said Seeger.

“We’ll never get my son back. I can’t get justice, I can look for peace. That person gave me a hole in my heart that we will never fill.”

The investigation is still unfolding at this time. Investigators from the Criminal Collision Investigation Team (CCIT) and the Kelowna general investigation section have taken conduct of the files.

Anyone with details on this incident is asked to contact the Kelowna RCMP at 250-762-3300. To remain completely anonymous, please call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or leave a tip online at www.crimestoppers.net.