Brent Reaney
Northern News Services

Edmonton (Oct 04/04) - Charges have been laid in the death of a former resident of Cambridge Bay after he was struck by two different vehicles while riding his bike near downtown Edmonton.

Richard Tologanak is described by family members as an adventurer, someone who "always made people laugh, and who never took anything too seriously."

"Even though he wasn't the youngest boy, we called him baby boy because he was so well loved," sister Peggy says.

While away from home, Richard would call from British Columbia, the Yukon, and Alberta and other places, though no one knew when the next call would be or where it would be made from.

Sometimes he would show up unannounced to visit with family and friends, who loved him so much. But then another destination would call him away.

"He always said 'there's lots to see," says Peggy, whose house Richard often stayed at when he was in Cambridge Bay.

Most recently, he was living in Edmonton.

While riding his bike west on a street near downtown, at about 9:30 p.m. on Sept. 25, the 43-year-old was hit by a southbound pick up truck.

The impact threw him across the street, where he was struck by a cab just seconds later, Edmonton police say. Tologanak lay trapped under the cab until emergency crews could free him. He was taken to hospital, where he died a short time later.

Twenty-one-year-old Kevin O'Donnell has been charged with criminal hit and run, after turning himself in the morning following the crime.

No court date had been set as of Oct. 1.

Tologanak's adventures outside the North began after his parents' passed away in a snowmobile accident in 1981.

"He was a lost boy, he felt lost without his mother," says eldest sister Helen.

Known as Ricky to his family, he was the chubbiest, and the cutest of 10 kids, his sisters say.

"He was too heavy, so we had to take turns patting him on our shoulders," Helen says, remembering his mother would get a sore back from holding the youngster up.

Tologanak is survived by his children Leslie Harve, Nicole Komak, Shane Akhina, and grandchildren Elijah Harve and Hailey Komak.

The funeral took place Oct. 4, in Cambridge Bay.