Heartbroken children of alleged hit and run victim Mircea Saban ask ‘where's our daddy?'

Sunday World

a day ago

Family tell of 'sweet father loved by all' as man charged over tragic death
Speaking at the site on Railway Street in Balbriggan, north county Dublin, where her brother was killed on Monday, Rahala Rostas, a nursing graduate, described slain Saban as a devoted father, husband, brother and son.
'He did nothing to deserve this,' she told the Sunday World, as she laid her hand against his picture which had been fixed to the wall over the footpath where his bloodstains could still be seen.
'He was a good man, a peace-maker, who [would] turn away from any row.
'Everyone in Balbriggan knew him, he lived here all his life and everyone who knew him knows how kind he was.'
Rahala said her brother was a married man with three young children, an 11-year-old daughter and nine and four-year-old sons.
Mircea Saban Rostas, pictured below with wife Crina
'They are asking where their father is all the time but we have to be careful what we tell them,' she said.
'His son can't sleep without his father.
'This is so hard for them.'
Saban's wife Crina also visited the scene on Thursday where flowers were laid at the spot where her husband lost his life.
'He was an innocent, amazing man,' she said, as she broke down in tears.
'There aren't words to describe how sweet he was.'
The background to tragic Saban's death cannot be divulged at present as a man is currently before the courts.
On Thursday morning, a neighbour of the deceased, 41-year-old Daniel Rostas, with an address at Hastings Green, Balbriggan, appeared before Dublin District Court accused of causing serious harm to Saban.
He was remanded in custody for DPP directions after no bail application was made on his behalf.
Gardai said Mircea Rostas was struck by a car as he stood on a footpath on Railway Street on Monday night.
Emergency services were alerted to reports of a road traffic collision and found him seriously injured on the ground.
He was treated by paramedics at the scene, but died a short time later.
Family members left flowers at the footpath on Railway St in Balbriggan where Mircea Saban Rostas was knocked down on Monday evening
Gardai have appealed for witnesses and any dashcam footage.
They also asked people not to share a graphic video showing the immediate aftermath of the collision.
The footage, posted online, shows Mr Rostas lying motionless on the ground while a bystander attempted CPR.
Family members are seen becoming distressed after arriving on the scene.
Speaking on Thursday, Saban's brother Eli said his family want justice for Saban through legal means.
'Let the law do its work,' he said. 'May he get justice by the law.'
Paying tribute to his brother, he continued: 'He was the most generous man.
Rahala Rostas with a photo of her late brother at the scene of his death this week
News in 90 Seconds - June 29th
'He liked peace, he would always turn his back on a row and look for peace.
'You can ask anyone in this town, everyone knew him.
'My brother lived in this town for 28 years.
'He grew up here, he went to school here.
'Everyone loved him.
A tribute to Rahala Rostas at the scene of his death this week
'It's not just our family who are devastated … it the whole community.'
Speaking with the Sunday World , Martin Collins of Pavee Point paid tribute, saying both Saban and his family were actively involved with the organisation.
'He was someone who was very well thought of in the community,' he said.
'I'd like to offer the deepest condolences of everyone in Pavee Point to his family and also to appeal for calm in the wake of what's happened here.
'The last thing people want now is any kind of retaliation.'
On Thursday, Dublin District Court court heard that Daniel Rosta is charged with intentionally or recklessly causing serious harm to the alleged victim at Railway Street on June 23.
Detective Garda John Delaney told Judge Michele Finan he arrested the accused for the purpose of charging him at Balbriggan station at 1.12am on Thursday.
He made no reply after caution and was handed a copy of the charge sheet.
Det Garda Delaney told the court he would be objecting to bail but defence solicitor Sandra Frayne said the accused was not making a bail application at that stage.
'I will be applying for bail in the future,' she said, adding that she would notify the gardai in advance.
Judge Finan granted free legal aid at the request of the defence after hearing the accused was 'not a man of means' and was in receipt of disability allowance.
Ms Frayne handed a statement of her client's financial means into court.
Judge Finan asked if the accused wished to make his next court appearance by video link but Ms Frayne asked if it could be 'in person, if that's alright.'
Mr Rostas, wearing a black and grey North Face jacket, light grey tracksuit bottoms and black and white runners, was assisted by a Romanian interpreter and the court heard he had 'very limited English.'
He was not required to address the court during the brief hearing and has not yet entered a plea to the charge, which is under Section 4 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act.
He was remanded in custody to appear in Cloverhill District Court on July 3.
Gardai are appealing to any road users or pedestrians who may have camera footage (including dash-cam) from the Railway Street and Drogheda Street areas of Balbriggan between 8:30pm and 9:30pm to make it available to investigators.