Arrest in connection with 2023 traffic crash that left Newport Beach man dead

According to Newport Beach police, an arrest has been made in connection with a fatal traffic accident in which John Robert Gilroy died last fall.

On September 30, officers responded to the intersection of MacArthur Boulevard and Bowsprit Drive at 4:33 p.m. on a report of a traffic accident. Police found Gilroy, 86, who was pronounced dead at the scene.

In a press release Wednesday, the agency announced that it arrested Andrew Bilat Awad last week on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter following an investigation between local authorities and the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.

Awad, a 35-year-old Costa Mesa resident, was reportedly participating in a street race before the collision, officials said.

According to court records, no plea has been entered, but Awad is expected to appear at the West Justice Center for a pretrial settlement hearing on June 21.