Adorned with flowers and messages of condolences, a memorial for Councillor Claire Newman following her death by a hit and run driver on July 4, 2023 (Image credit: Roger White/Q101 Merritt).

By Roger White-Q101 Merritt

Claire Newman

“You’re just a criminal”: Merrit Mayor Goetz on anniversary of Councillor Claire Newman’s death

Jul 5, 2024 | 6:43 AM

MERRITT, B.C. — It’s been one year since Merritt City Councillor Claire Newman was struck and killed in a hit and run while visiting family outside of Valemount, and to date there has been very little progress in the case.

The incident happened between 11:45 p.m. on July 4 and midnight on July 5, 2023 on Highway 16 near Lucerne Campground just west of the B.C.-Alberta border.

Police responded to an automated cellphone crash notification and found Newman in the ditch near her running, unlocked Nissan Frontier with a dog inside.

Merritt Mayor Mike Goetz said it’s frustrating not getting answers about the case.

“We’ve (City Hall) been in contact with the police in Valemount trying to get any kind of an update on where we are with the investigation,” Goetz said in a sit-down interview with Q101 News. “We were not successful. They have basically told us that it is an open file and that they are working on it.”

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No other vehicles were in the area. However, investigators found a headlight assembly from a 2016-2018 Jeep Cherokee at the scene.

In August, Valemount RCMP released a surveillance photo of a vehicle suspected to be involved in the crash. However, the license plate number was not visible in the photos and the Cherokee also had no front plate.

Investigators say the Jeep Cherokee was last seen driving east long Highway 16 at the Parks Canada gate west of Jasper.

Not mincing words, Mayor Goetz hopes one day the person responsible will be brought to justice.

“As far as I’m concerned, you had the ability to come in and be a human about it; but now you’re just a criminal,” Goetz added. “I do hope that one day they find the driver because Claire deserves justice, and it will give us closure as well.

Once the Jeep passed through the Parks Canada gate, it is unknown if it travelled south toward Banff or east toward Edmonton.

Police say they checked video surveillance at the gas stations in both Jasper and Hinton Alberta but the Cherokee was not seen on video.