Cape Breton Regional Police say there is no evidence the person behind the wheel of a vehicle that struck and killed a Cape Breton teen last weekend was impaired.
Joneil Hanna, 17, of North Sydney, N.S., was hit by a motor vehicle around 3:30 a.m. Sunday on Highway 223 in Leitches Creek. He was rushed to hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Hanna's mother, Jennifer Hanna, told CBC News her son was attending a large outdoor graduation party nearby.
Cape Breton Regional Police would not confirm whether the 17-year-old was at the party, only that he was involved in a motor vehicle accident and that a vehicle was seized at the scene.
In a news release Wednesday, police said they were called to a party at a home in Leitches Creek twice Sunday — once at 1 a.m. and again at 3 a.m. — over concerns there were a large number of people drinking and there was a potential for fights and impaired driving.
Hanna's mother has said she heard there were as many as 500 people at the party.
Police said they arrested two people, one for public intoxication and the other for impaired driving. Officers stayed in the roadway near the house as partygoers dispersed to ensure no one was drinking and driving.
At around the same time, they received a call that someone had been struck along Highway 223, "a substantial distance" from where the party was happening, according to the news release.
That person was Hanna.
Police said Wednesday that based on what officers observed at the scene and the subsequent investigation, there is no evidence the driver of the vehicle that killed Hanna was impaired.
Police are still investigating Hanna's death.
In the release, police warned about the dangers of underage drinking and supplying alcohol to people who are underage.
"During this season of graduation milestones, Cape Breton Regional Police urge students and parents to please celebrate safely and responsibly."