Gifted doctor, fiancée killed in weekend hit and run in Vancouver

An 18-year-old man is facing numerous impaired-driving charges after a weekend hit and run in Vancouver that killed a gifted cardiologist and his new fiancée as they were crossing a street.

The two pedestrians had the right of way while crossing West 4th Avenue near the entrance to Granville Island late Saturday night.

"They weren't doing anything wrong. They were just walking home, and their lives were ended very tragically and very quickly," Vancouver police Const. Jana McGuinness said.

Police have not named the two deceased, but colleagues of Aneez Mohamed have identified him as the cardiologist. They told CBC News on Monday that he was an outstanding physician and an exceptional man.

Mohamed, 31, and his fiancée, Chanelle Morgan, 25, were hit from behind by a Buick sedan and thrown several metres. They died at the scene.

Mohamed was a second-year cardiology resident at Vancouver General and St. Paul's hospitals, his colleague Jaap Hamburger said.

"He was a very soft-spoken, very friendly and endearing man.... He was very gifted," Hamburger said.

Karim Quyumi worked with Mohamed for two years at the University of British Columbia's Centre of Excellence for Surgical Education and Innovation.

"He was an outstanding guy, a person with a very positive attitude," Quyumi told CBC News on Monday.

Quyumi said Mohamed was "energetic, enthusiastic. He was a very good teacher.... Students loved him. Everybody loved him."

Quyumi said he had not met Morgan, Mohamed's fiancée.

The couple's families are grieving and not ready to speak publicly about the accident, police said Monday.

Police have recommended charges be laid against an 18-year-old Vancouver man, including two counts each of failing to remain at the scene of an accident, dangerous driving causing death and impaired driving causing death.

The man tried to run from the accident but was caught with the help of a police dog, police said.

Two girls, aged 14 and 16, were passengers in the car he was driving. They were questioned and released.