There is relief in a First Nation community in New Brunswick after the RCMP charged a man in connection with the hit-and-run death of one of its members.
Police say 56-year-old Maurice Johnson of Saint-Charles, N.B., has been charged with failing to stop at the scene of an accident involving bodily harm or death.
Those who knew Brady Francis say they are feeling a sense of relief and are ready to take the next step in healing now that someone has been charged in his death.
“It was emotional. I didn’t expect to be so emotional,” said Cara Simon, who employed Francis at one time. “I was confident in the system, in the justice system.”
Police responded to Saint-Charles South Road in Saint-Charles, N.B., around 9:30 p.m. on Feb. 24, where they found the body of 22-year-old Francis on the side of the road.
Police believe Francis had been standing on the side of the road, waiting for a drive home, when he was struck by a vehicle.
Francis, a member of the Elsipogtog First Nation, died at the scene.
Investigators said the vehicle had fled the scene before police arrived, but officers seized a pickup truck on Feb. 25. The truck was returned to the owner after police gathered the information required for their investigation.
Police released photos of the truck in March, asking anyone who may have seen the vehicle in the hours leading up to the crash to contact them.
Police confirm it was Johnson’s truck that was seized as part of their investigation, and that he was arrested in March, but was released without charges.
Francis’ family and friends staged a number of public demonstrations over the past four months, urging the driver to come forward.
A sign outside CC’s Entertainment Center, where Francis used to work, displayed the number of days since he was struck and killed. Friend Robbie Ward changed the number back to one after learning someone had been charged.
“It’s a process still and we’re just glad that something has come of it,” said Ward. “This is day 116, so I guess we are going to start all over again from day one.”
Francis’ former co-worker, Charlotte Simon, says the arrest is bittersweet as she continues to cope with the loss of a friend.
“There was frustration and times when you felt that it was too long,” said Simon. “It brings a sense of relief a little bit, bittersweet kind of thing. We still don’t have Brady.”
Johnson is due to appear in Moncton provincial court on July 10 to enter a plea.
Francis’ friends and family say they will also be in the courtroom as they continue to push for justice.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Jonathan MacInnis
