Calgary Police Charge Man in Hit-and-Run That Injured 17-Year-Old

The police said they have charged a Calgary man in relation to the hit-and-run collision in the northwest community of Montgomery last year October that seriously injured a 17-year-old pedestrian.

In October 2022, Brandon Taylor was hit by an SUV when he was crossing 16^th Avenue N.W at 46^th Street. According to the police, he was hit by a white SUV while crosswalk signal was activated.

The driver fled the scene and the teen was rushed to Alberta Children’s Hospital with severe injuries. A week later, the police said they seized what they believed to be the vehicle that was involved in the accident.

After a series of investigations, the man identified as Richard Blanchet, a 40-year-old Calgary man, has been charged with one count of failure to stop at the scene of an accident causing bodily harm. He is scheduled to appear in court on April 5.

Brandon’s mother Kailey Nougler, said the family was surprised and overwhelmed by the new of the arrest. They didn’t expect that the driver would be found quickly, as they were told the investigation would take a while.

Speaking to Global News, Nougler said “I’m just thankful for the hard work of the constables involved. I’m just glad there’s at least some closure to the situation.”

She said although Brandon was fitted for “a wheelchair, for six to ten years”, with a lot of help, he has moved to a walker. “It’s really phenomenal to see how things progress”, she told Global News.

“Always have hope and believe in somebody.” She said Brandon is still needs a while to recover, but hopes to skateboard soon.

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