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Shortly after the tragic death of her 12-year-old son Keaton, who was fatally struck by a BMW traveling at 70mph in a hit-and-run incident in Coventry, Louise Slater found herself outside the residence of the suspected driver. She had been provided with the name and location of Aleksanders Dolars, the man believed responsible for the crash. Summoning her courage, she was about to knock on the door and appeal to his family to surrender him when a neighbor informed her that the family, originally from Latvia, had already left the area just days before. Dolars had fled only hours after the collision that left Keaton injured on the road.
What ensued was an exhaustive and determined effort by Keaton’s parents that lasted two years, aimed at locating Dolars and securing his return to the UK to face legal consequences. Their persistence ultimately led to Dolars being sentenced to nine years and four months in prison on Friday. Prior to the police formally naming him as the principal suspect on June 18, 2024, roughly four days after the incident, Dolars’ name had already been circulating within the local community. Witnesses recall a seven-seater vehicle trembling violently as the speeding BMW passed, exceeding the 30mph limit by a significant margin. Seconds later, they saw something being thrown into the air behind the car, which continued on without stopping. Shortly afterward, a black backpack and a single shoe were discovered on Radford Road, suggesting that a child had been hit.
Political figures also played a crucial role in pushing for justice. Taiwo Owatemi, the Member of Parliament for Coventry North West, worked quietly to rally political backing. Although she was advised that the absence of an extradition treaty between the UK and the EU posed serious obstacles to Dolars’ return, the Latvian ambassador assured her that Latvia sought to maintain a positive relationship with the UK. This was especially relevant given Latvia’s geographical closeness to Ukraine amidst its ongoing conflict with Russia. The ambassador also shared that many Latvians were outraged by the incident and felt that Dolars had tarnished their nation’s reputation. As Owatemi explained, “When you have Latvians in Latvia asking for justice, when you have Latvians in the UK asking for justice, that’s his number one job as ambassador.”
Community members within Latvia also took an active stance, helping to identify Dolars’s whereabouts. Louise received numerous messages from families through a Facebook page established after Keaton’s death, with people expressing their disdain for Dolars, calling him “scum” and making it clear they did not want him in their country. They even sent her videos showing Dolars casually walking around and posing with his vehicle, evidence which she passed to the police. She reflected on these moments, saying, “He was free. He thought he’d got away with it.” A turning point came in February 2026 when the Latvian government began to consider new legislation to permit the extradition of their citizens to the UK for prosecution. The family’s tireless campaigning influenced the introduction of a law that allows extradition requests to be evaluated individually, marking a significant development in their pursuit of justice
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