The 63-year-old man was charged yesterday following the death of Mitch East, 28, in the early hours of Sunday.
The younger man was found critically injured on a street in beachside Tamarama, in the city’s eastern suburbs.
Police and paramedics were called to Fletcher St about 4am, but Mr East was pronounced dead at the scene after unsuccessful attempts to revive him.
The 63-year-old is due to face Parramatta Bail Court today after attending Granville Police Station yesterday.
He has been charged with failing to stop and assist after a vehicle impact causing death, dangerous driving occasioning death, negligent driving occasioning death and driving while using a mobile phone when not permitted.
Mr East worked at Sydney law firm Arnold Bloch Leibler after beginning his legal career in New Zealand.
He graduated from the University of Otago before continuing his studies at Harvard Law School in 2022, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Otago University law faculty dean Prof Shelley Griffiths said upon hearing the news of Mr East’s death that they extended "our most caring thoughts to all the whanau and friends of Mitch, a remarkable graduate and a much-liked member of our academic community".
Mr East graduated with a first class honours degree and after being a clerk at the New Zealand Supreme Court and a senior adviser for the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Christchurch Terrorist Attack he chose postgraduate study.
He received full scholarship offers to Cambridge Law School, New York University Law School and Harvard Law School.
"One individual receiving such offers from all of these institutions is truly exceptional.
"After completing his LLM, Mitch had embarked on what was sure to be a truly stellar legal career, beginning in New Zealand before moving to Sydney last year."
Prof Griffiths said beyond his outstanding academic accomplishments, "Mitch was quite simply a lovely person". — AAP/Otago Daily Times
