The Ottawa Police Service is renewing a call for information regarding a hit-and-run incident that happened 11 years ago in the city’s east end.
Michael Morlang was killed Aug. 11, 2013 while walking along Frank Kenney Road that morning when a driver hit him with a vehicle and left the scene.Police were not able to find the driver.
At the time of his death, Morlang was 30 years old. Each year, on the anniversary of his death, police renew calls for information regarding this incident.
Unresolved incident
It was around 5:30 a.m. on Aug. 11, 2013 when police were called by a driver who saw a body on the road. Police said a vehicle is believed to have hit the victim, later identified as Michael Morlang, some time between 5:10 and 5:30 a.m.
The vehicle in question would have had significant front-end damage, police said at the time.
Morlang was laid to rest on Aug. 15, 2013. At his funeral, friends urged the driver to come forward.
“Come forward,” said Morlang’s friend, Dan Plunkett. “It is the right thing to do and I believe it will bring inner peace to him and closure to the family.”
Morlang’s parents issued a new plea for information about their son’s death on Aug. 10, 2015. Meanwhile, Ottawa police said they believe the vehicle involved was a GM product with dark red or burgundy paint used between the years of 1997-1998 and 2003-2010.
On April 1, 2016, Ottawa police offered a $25,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in Morlang’s death. Police said, at the time, they had received more than 100 tips from the public since the 2013 crash, but had yet to identify a suspect.
A person of interest was identified on Nov. 23, 2017. He was identified only as “Dwayne” and it was believed he had since moved away. At the time, investigators said the vehicle involved in the 2013 is believed to be a burgundy GM Oldsmobile that would have sustained significant damage.
Police asked anyone who may know someone named Dwayne, who may have had access to such a vehicle in 2013, and who may have left town to contact them.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call police at 613-236-1222 ext. 2345, or Crime Stoppers at 1800-222-8477 to remain anonymous.