Nova Scotia cabinet minister Ernie Fage has resigned amid allegations he left the scene of a car accident smelling of alcohol.

Premier Rodney MacDonald confirmed Thursday night that Fage had stepped down. His resignation comes as questions were being raised about his actions after two witnesses say he was driving a car that rear-ended another vehicle, left the scene before police arrived, and appeared to have been drinking.

David Gamble says the driver of the Jetta rear-ended another vehicle.
(Courtesy of David Gamble)

MacDonald said Fage offered his resignation to him.

"Mr. Fage did not want this accident to be a distraction from his job or from the work of government, so he offered his resignation and I have accepted," he said in a statement.

Fage, minister of human resources, had admitted he was in a minor accident but said he reported it to police.

David Gamble, a professional photographer, came across a midnight accident at the intersection of Sackville and South Park streets in Halifax last Nov. 24.

"I was driving up Sackville," he told CBC News Thursday. "Somebody had been rear-ended."

Steve Bezanson, a passenger in the car that was hit, said his head went forward and his cap came off. He got out and tried to talk to the driver of the other vehicle.

"He rolled down the window just a little bit," Bezanson said. "I went back to say 'Are you OK?' and could kind of smell the fumes. You could tell he was pretty much liquored.

"He never said he was sorry, never asked how we were, never showed any licence, never showed any registration."

While waiting for police to arrive, Gamble took pictures of the black Jetta with this cellphone.

The Jetta is a government vehicle.
(Courtesy of David Gamble)

Both Bezanson and Gamble say the driver of the Jetta took off.

Gamble said after the man drove through the intersection, he decided to follow him into an underground parkade at a nearby apartment complex. He continued to take pictures.

The photographs, which the CBC has paid for, show Human Resources Minister Ernie Fage emerging from a black Jetta assigned to his department.

Gamble also took video of himself and a friend confronting Fage.

Gamble said he detected alcohol.

Ernie Fage says he told police he was in a minor accident.
(Courtesy of David Gamble)

"The smell of alcohol he had on him," Gamble said, "the fact that he was somewhat stumbling with his movements and the erratic driving, certainly."

Gamble said he was playing phone tag with police after the accident and was only able to give a statement Wednesday night. He also passed on his photographs to police.

Driver did come forward: police

Halifax police will not confirm Fage is the one under investigation, but say the driver of the car did come forward days later.

"The driver of the vehicle that did not remain on the scene contacted police on Dec. 1," Const. Jeff Carr said Thursday.

Police say they never learned the identity of the driver until six days after the accident, but Bezanson said police told him later on that night they knew who it was and that it was a government-owned vehicle.

Late Thursday, Fage said he was in a minor accident six weeks ago and he reported it to police.

"I have nothing more to say," Fage told reporters.

Premier Rodney MacDonald said Fage told him he had been in a minor accident.