Eskasoni RCMP have charged a 19-year-old male after investigating a hit and run.

At approximately 5:30 p.m. yesterday, RCMP received a complaint that a pedestrian had been struck by a vehicle on Shore Road in Eskasoni.

Shortly after, RCMP located the burgundy Mazda on Shore Road. The driver of the vehicle showed signs of impairment and was arrested by RCMP. A drug recognition officer with the Cape Breton Regional Police Service assisted in the investigation and concluded that the male was in fact impaired by a drug.

The injured pedestrian, a 33-year-old man from Eskasoni, was assessed by Emergency Health Services on scene and did not require further medical attention.

The driver, who was released on conditions, is facing charges of Impaired Operation of a Motor Vehicle and Failing to Stop at the Scene of an Accident. He will appear in Sydney Provincial Court in March 2014.

The RCMP wish to remind the public that driving under the influence of a drug carries the same penalty as driving under the influence of alcohol upon conviction.

Source: Release