Police arrest driver in Whitby hit-and-run that left woman with serious injuries

Durham police have arrested a driver in connection with a hit-and-run in Whitby that left a 23-year-old woman seriously injured on Saturday.

In an update on Thursday, police said they located the driver at a residence in Whitby the day prior and was taken into custody.

The collision occurred in the area of Consumer Drive and Paisley Court around 6:20 a.m. A woman got off a bus and was crossing the street when she was struck by a vehicle that allegedly ran a red light.

The vehicle, a silver Jaguar sedan, fled the scene, leaving the woman with serious, life-threatening injuries. Emergency crews attended and transported the victim to a Toronto-area trauma centre.

On Monday, police said investigators located the Jaguar at a home in Whitby and later seized the vehicle. As a result, they were able to identify the driver.

Police said 40-year-old Courtney Lawrence Ritchie was charged with several offences, including three counts of driving while disqualified, three counts of driving while under suspension, one count of dangerous operation of a conveyance causing bodily harm and one count of failing to remain at the scene of an accident causing bodily harm.

Police continue to ask anyone with information, including surveillance or dashcam footage, to contact them at 1-888-579-1520 ext. 5267 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or  www.durhamregionalcrimestoppers.ca.