Two Grade 8 girls were hit by a car on their way to school in Coquitlam on Wednesday.
They were thrown over the hood of the vehicle but escaped with minor injuries after the 1990 Pontiac Bonneville mounted the curb and struck them on the sidewalk.
The driver immediately got out and started walking away from the accident, according to the RCMP.
A teacher at Dr. Charles Best School convinced the 44-year-old man to return to the scene of the accident, where he was arrested.
Mounties say the suspect has a lengthy criminal record, including a conviction for auto theft.
