London police are continuing their efforts into an investigation launched after a hit and run that claimed the life of a cyclist in September.
The victim, 29-year-old Jibin Benoy, was riding his bike home from his job at Kluck It, a chicken restaurant on King Street, when he was hit by a blue two-door sedan with a loud exhaust system in the area of Hamilton Road and Little Grey Street around 4:40 a.m. on September 18. Benoy was rushed to hospital where he later died.
On Thursday, investigators announced that they have recently learned that the sedan was seen travelling on Richmond Street before the crash. Officers say they are still processing surveillance footage from the area, but they are hopeful that someone may be able to help identify the owner of the vehicle based on this new evidence.
In the months since the crash, police have received several tips about the suspect vehicle, including that "multiple people” were inside the vehicle at the time of the crash. They added that the sedan may have a broken windshield on the passenger side, along with front bumper and hood damage. A new surveillance photo of the vehicle was also released by police.
A fundraiser set up by the London Ontario Malayalee Association after the crash raised nearly $46,000 for Benoy's family to support his funeral costs. He had come to Canada from India to study at Fanshawe College. The GoFundMe has since been closed and the funds have been transferred to his family in Kerala, India.
Anyone with information that could help identify those involved in the crash is asked to call the London Police Service at 519-661-5670. Tips can also be submitted online anonymously to London Elgin Middlesex Crime Stoppers.
