Man to remain in jail for hit-and-run in Nanton

A southern Alberta man who has been in custody since he was arrested following a hit-and-run last month in Nanton will stay in jail several weeks longer.

Benjamin Little Leaf was driving through a residential area in the small community north of Claresholm Dec. 20 when he struck a man who was shovelling snow on his property. Little Leaf stopped, checked to see if the man was OK, but then ran away, leaving the vehicle behind.

Little Leaf pleaded guilty Tuesday in Lethbridge provincial court to one count of failing to stop at the scene of an accident and was sentenced to five months in jail. He also pleaded guilty to single counts of driving while disqualified, possession of stolen property over $5,000 and breach of probation.

Court was told Little Leaf was a suspended driver at the time of the incident, and the vehicle he was driving had been stolen from Calgary. He was handed additional jail sentences for those offences, which will run concurrently with the five-month sentence.

Crown prosecutor Vaughan Hartigan noted it’s fortunate that even though the resident who was struck was hurt, he didn’t sustain serious injuries.

In addition to Little Leaf’s jail sentence, for which he was credited the equivalent of two months already spent in custody, he is prohibited from driving for one year. He was also ordered to pay $14,000 restitution for damaging the truck.

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