Family in the dark 6 days after hit and run sent Tobique man to hospital
Almost a week after a Tobique First Nations man was struck by a vehicle and left on the side of the road, his family is frustrated by the lack of answers.
Forty-two-year-old Daniel Saulis was taken to hospital last Thursday morning with serious injuries after being found on the side of the Trans-Canada Highway, just north of Morell Siding.
He suffered broken ribs, a punctured lung and a broken leg and may have damaged his vertebrae, his family says.
"We don't know what happened," said Gary Sappier Jr., the victim's brother.
"And for a person to even leave him for dead . ... What do you do? What can you say? There's some nasty people out there."
Sappier said his brother is expected to survive, and he called him a "very strong man" and "one tough nut."
"He's sitting up and he's talking," Sappier said. "I think he's on the road to recovery."
Police have yet to announce an arrest in the case and did not return calls from CBC News on Wednesday.
'It's very frustrating'
"Nothing," said Sappier. "We haven't gotten any updates from the police, other than the location of the incident and some of the pieces of evidence that were left behind."
Last Friday, RCMP said they were looking for an older model vehicle with damage to at least one headlight, based on the debris left at the scene.
CBC News made several calls to RCMP looking for an update on the case.
"It's very frustrating that it hasn't been solved," Sappier said. "The family is quite sad."
Family members say the apparent lack of progress in the investigation is discouraging, given this was the second hit and run in two months involving a First Nations man.
In late February, 22-year-old Brady Francis died when he was struck near his community of Elsipogtog.
No charges have been laid in that case, either.
