Man extradited to UK charged with killing boy in crash

A man has appeared in court accused of killing a 12-year-old boy in a hit-and-run crash in Coventry more than two years ago.

Keaton Slater was fatally injured when he was struck by a black BMW while on his way home from school, on 14 June 2024.

Dolars Aleksanders was extradited from Latvia, where he was detained last month, and has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving.

The 23-year-old Latvian was taken into custody after arriving in the UK and appeared before Birmingham Magistrates' Court.

During the brief hearing, Aleksanders spoke only to confirm his identity and was remanded in custody ahead of a crown court appearance, which is due on 3 September.

Keaton's parents were in court for the short hearing, sitting in the public gallery alongside police officers.

Efforts to extradite Aleksanders had been under way since he was named by police as a person of interest shortly after the crash.

He was flown into Gatwick Airport on Wednesday and was then transported to a custody block in the West Midlands, police said.

Crown Prosecution Service spokesman Ben Samples said British and Latvian authorities, as well as international agencies, had worked closely together to "bring Mr Aleksanders back to face proceedings in a UK court".

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