Police in London, Ont., have unveiled new information related to a fatal hit-and-run last month that killed a 29-year-old hoping to establish a new life in Canada.
On the early morning of Sept. 18, Jibin Benoy was biking home from work along Hamilton Road near Little Grey Street when he was struck and fatally injured by a vehicle.
Benoy succumbed to his injuries in hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The vehicle believed to have been involved has not been found and few details are available about the crash, which police say occurred between 4:30 a.m. and 4:45 a.m.
In an update on Thursday morning, police shared a new photo of the suspect vehicle, which investigators say is a blue sedan. The car “may have a broken windshield on the passenger side, damage to the front bumper and hood, and a loud exhaust system,” police said in Thursday’s update.
Witnesses also believe there were multiple people inside the car at the time of the crash, police added. Officers have not named any suspect or suspects.
Originally from the state of Kerala, India, Benoy had moved to London to study at Fanshawe College. The aspiring engineer planned to create a new life in the city with his wife who was still back home.
Ibraheem Halbouni was Benoy’s boss at Kluck It, the downtown restaurant he worked at between classes.
Speaking to Global News last month, Halbouni described the 29-year-old as, “always a friendly soul. Putting a smile on everybody’s face,” adding that “it’s more we lost a friend and a brother than we did a co-worker.”
The death also sparked outrage and concern from London’s cycling community, with advocates rallying in honour of Benoy days later to call for safer cycling infrastructure across the city.
Police continue to urge the public to come forward if they have information. They’re looking to speak with anyone who was on Hamilton Road on Sept. 18 between 4:30 a.m. and 4:45 a.m., as well as anyone who may have footage of the incident.
“Investigators do believe that someone out there knows something,” said Const. Sandasha Bough in an interview with Global News. “Even if you have a small piece of information, if you think that it may not be important, it could be important to police.”
Police ask anyone with relevant information to contact them at (519) 661-5670 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
— With files from Global’s Matthew Trevithick
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