Charges laid in fatal hit-and-run near Nanaimo

Just under a year after the body of a 23-year-old Bangladeshi immigrant was found in the bushes alongside Island Highway North in Nanaimo, charges have been laid against the man police say hit and killed him.

Mahadi Redwan had been reported missing on Nov. 5, 2025 but his fate wasn’t known until a week later, when his body was found beside Highway 19A between Turner and Mostar Roads.

Prosecutors have charged Wael Hmaied with one count of dangerous driving causing death under the Criminal Code, and he turned himself in to police Monday after a warrant was issued for his arrest. He has since been released under conditions, and is scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 10.

Redwan was last seen on Nov. 2, 2025 leaving a supermarket at Longwood Station, and was reported missing when he didn’t show up to a ride he’d secured to Courtney. He’d only been in the country for six months, and left behind a pregnant wife back in Bangladesh, who has since given birth.

“With immense gratitude and emotion, we are happy to share that Mahadi’s child has been born. Please welcome his son, Mohammed Umair — a name Mahadi himself had chosen,” said a post on Gofundme that has raised more than $60,000 for the family.

Hmaied, according to court records, has a long list of nearly 30 driving infractions, including excessive speeding, driving while prohibited, operating a vehicle while using an electronic device, and failing to obey a stop sign. He’s also set to appear in a Vancouver court for a sexual assault charge stemming from a January 2025 incident.