At the time of the incident, gardaí had to appeal to members of the public not to post images and video footage of the scene on social media platforms.
18:00, 01 Mar 2026Updated 19:08, 01 Mar 2026
Gardai at the scene of a fatal hit and run, which happened on Railway Street in Balbriggan, Co Dublin on June 24, 2025(Image: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin)
An individual has been charged with the murder of a Roma man killed in a hit-and-run road traffic collision in Balbriggan last year, an inquest has heard.
Marcel Rostas (33) a married father-of-three, died on Railway Street in Balbriggan, Co Dublin on June 24, 2025 after being struck by a vehicle which failed to remain at the scene.
A black saloon car observed in the area at the time was later abandoned following a collision with another vehicle on Drogheda Street, Balbriggan shortly after the fatal incident which occurred around 9pm.
At the opening of an inquest into the death of Mr Rostas at Dublin District Coroner’s Court, a brother of the deceased gave evidence of formally identifying his brother’s body to gardaí at the Dublin City Mortuary in Whitehall.
Gardai at the scene of a fatal hit and run, which happened on Railway Street in Balbriggan at about 9pm on Monday, June 24, 2025(Image: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin)
The coroner, Cróna Gallagher, said the results of a postmortem showed Ms Rostas had died from multiple traumatic injuries due to a road traffic collision.
At the time of the incident, gardaí had to appeal to members of the public not to post images and video footage of the scene on social media platforms.
Detective Inspector Brian Downey applied for an adjournment of the inquest under Section 25 (2) of the Coroners Act on the basis that criminal proceedings had been initiated in relation to the circumstances of Mr Rostas’ death.
Det Insp Downey told the coroner that a person had been charged with the deceased’s murder on the direction of the DPP and an individual is currently before the courts.
A Romanian national, Daniel Rostas (42) of Hastings Green, Balbriggan, who is not related to the deceased, appeared before Dublin District Court two days after the fatal incident when he was originally charged with assault causing serious harm to Mircea Rostas, contrary to Section 4 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997.
Garda Technical Bureau officers at the scene of a fatal hit and run on Railway Street in Balbriggan, Co Dublin(Image: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin)
The court heard the accused made no reply after being charged at Balbriggan Garda station.
The evidence before the inquest shows the Garda inquiry was subsequently updated to a murder investigation.
Dr Gallagher adjourned the hearing to a date to be fixed following the conclusion of related criminal proceedings.
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