Police arrest suspect in Markham hit-and-run

York police have arrested a 29-year-old man in connection with a hit-and-run last month which left a woman with life-altering injuries.

A 29-year-old man has been charged in connection with a hit-and-run in Markham last month that left a pedestrian seriously injured.

York Regional Police announced the arrest of the suspect in a news release on Wednesday.

The incident happened at the intersection of Denison Street and Featherstone Avenue on the afternoon of Feb. 19.

Police believe the pedestrian, a 19-year-old woman, was struck and carried on the hood of the vehicle for a short distance before she fell on the ground.

Officers located her 50 metres east of the intersection. She was taken to the hospital, where she remains in serious condition with life-altering injuries.

Days following the incident, police released a video of the suspect vehicle that fled the scene.

In Wednesday’s news release, police revealed the suspect, who has been identified as 29-year-old Nathan Kumar Persaud of Oshawa, was arrested last week.

Officers also conducted searches at residences in Richmond Hill, Oshawa and Toronto, all of which are associated with Persaud. As a result, police said they seized the suspect vehicle and a quantity of substances.

Persaud has been charged with dangerous operation causing bodily harm, dangerous operation, failure to stop after an accident resulting in bodily harm, trafficking opioid, and two counts of possession for the purpose of trafficking.

Police allege Persaud took steps to conceal his identity and to repair the vehicle damage, so they are asking anyone who sold parts to him or inadvertently performed repairs on the vehicle to contact them.

“Investigators are reminding the public that anyone who assists the suspect in concealing, repairing or altering the vehicle to avoid detection is committing a criminal offence of Accessory After the Fact and may face charges,” police said.

“This includes any person who performs or arranges body work, paint work, or mechanical repairs intended to hide damage caused in this collision.”