Latvian national jailed in Britain for fatally hitting 12-year-old boy with car

A British court has sentenced Latvian national Dolārs Aleksanders to nine years and four months in prison for fatally hitting 12-year-old Keaton Slater in the English city of Coventry in June 2024, foreign media report. The case drew wide attention because the man spent two years in Latvia after the crash before being extradited to the United Kingdom.

The crash

According to Sky News, Aleksanders, 23, was suspected of dangerous driving. He was travelling at 70 mph (about 113 km/h) on a road section with a 30 mph (about 48 km/h) limit. He then struck Slater, who was walking home from school.

On 14 June 2024 the boy was hit on a Coventry street by a black BMW. Police believed at the time that the car, which had four people inside, was driven by Aleksanders, a long-term resident of Britain, who had greatly exceeded the speed limit. His car was found 10 kilometres from the scene. Police officer Sam Lewis said the man could have stopped, given first aid or called emergency services, but chose to leave the scene.

Flight to Latvia and extradition

After the incident Aleksanders fled to Latvia, where he spent two years. A reward of £10,000 was offered in Britain for information leading to his whereabouts. Following a campaign launched by the boy's parents, he was extradited to the United Kingdom; the Latvian embassy helped the family.

The BBC writes that the case had already provoked public outrage because in September this year Aleksanders asked the court whether he had to attend the sentencing.

In court

Judge Christine Montgomery told him that his "selfish and dangerous driving took his [Slater's] life". The boy's mother, Louise Slater, said the family had lived in complete uncertainty for two years and expressed hope that they can now truly grieve for their son and celebrate the memories of the time they spent together.