Maria Canton
Northern News Services

NNSL (Apr 28/99) - A 19-year-old Yellowknife man is facing charges after being involved in a single-vehicle accident that sent his passenger to Edmonton's University of Alberta Hospital with head injuries.

The man is charged with impaired driving causing bodily harm, dangerous driving causing harm and failing to remain at the accident scene.

In the early-morning hours of April 25, the accused was travelling east along the Old Airport Road when he lost control of his '97 Volkswagen Golf.

RCMP say the blue, two-door was travelling at a very high speed, but the exact speed remains unknown.

The car first crossed the meridian and the west- bound traffic lanes before it jumped the sidewalk and crashed into a fence.

After hitting the fence, the vehicle flipped onto its roof before coming to a final stop on Stinson Road in the Northland Trailer Park.

An off-duty firefighter was the first to arrive on the scene, but by the time RCMP arrived, the driver had fled the scene.

The 23-year-old passenger was taken to Stanton Regional Hospital by ambulance after sustaining head injuries and was later transferred to Edmonton.

The driver was later located at the hospital where he went to receive treatment for minor injuries he suffered in the accident.

The passenger was released Monday from hospital.