Patience is wearing thin for members of Elsipogtog First Naton due to the lack of charges laid in a hit-and-run last month that left a 22-year-old man dead.
Brady Francis was hit by a pickup truck on Feb. 24 as he departed a party in Saint-Charles, N.B., a predominantly francophone town about 12 kilometres south of the Elsipogtog reserve.
Francis died shortly after the RCMP arrived on scene.
“It's very fresh and it's very difficult to talk about it,” says Charlotte Simon, a former coworker of Francis.
The driver of the pickup truck fled the scene. Police have yet to lay any charges.
“We certainly appreciate that it is a difficult time for Brady's family, friends in the community. We want people to be aware that we are continuing to investigate,” says Const. Julie Rogers-Marsh, spokesperson for New Brunswick RCMP.
Const. Rogers-Marsh says the family and police are in regular contact.
“The RCMP is continuing to provide them updates as the investigation progresses,” she says.
The 22-year-old man from Elsipogtog First Nation was laid to rest a little more than a week ago. The community, however, continues to mourn his death.
As they do, frustration comes close to taking over.
“Yesterday I thought there was going to be a riot,” says Simon. “But everyone's holding it together, praying for justice for Brady."
Credit for that goes to the Francis family.
“This family has done nothing but tell everybody to stand back, let the RCMP do their job,” says local resident Jeannie Goveia.
The RCMP still consider the fatal hit-and-run an active investigation. They want anyone who may have information to contact them directly or Crime Stoppers.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Jonathan MacInnis.
