A Perth man accused of a fatal hit-and-run in Bibra Lake has appeared in court after police arrested him following a two-day search.
Craig Daniel Strawbridge, 40, is alleged to have been driving a white Toyota Prado that struck cyclist Joseph Paratore on North Lake Road at about 5.20am on Tuesday. The vehicle did not stop at the scene.
Strawbridge, a forklift driver, was arrested at his home in Yangebup on Wednesday evening and the Toyota was seized. He was charged with failing to stop and ensure assistance after an incident occasioning death, and failing to report an incident to police.
He appeared in Fremantle Magistrates Court on Thursday morning, accompanied by a private lawyer who sought an adjournment until next month. Strawbridge did not apply for bail and will remain in custody until his next hearing on November 16.
Police had released CCTV footage in an attempt to identify the driver. They said the vehicle appeared to have been travelling at high speed, and that a broken section of wing mirror found at the scene helped identify the car as a white Toyota Prado.
Mr Paratore was the general manager of Southern Steel WA, a business in Hope Valley, and was the father of two young children.
A friend described him as someone who was “always there for his people; always leaned in; would go the extra mile daily to make sure people were ok. A man who loved his family, particularly his children”.
Mr Paratore also regularly took part in the Maca 200 Ride for Perkins, which raises funds for cancer research.
