A man is in custody after an RCMP officer was dragged by a vehicle across the Confederation Bridge between New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.
Scott Alexander MacNally of Borden-Carleton, P.E.I. was charged in provincial court with being criminally negligent in the operation of a motor vehicle causing bodily harm, flight from police, theft of a vehicle and four other charges after the incident Tuesday morning.
Police say they received a call around 5:45 a.m. Tuesday that someone was planning to jump off the bridge.
Police alerted bridge patrol, who located a person on the bridge. Police say the bridge patrol officer convinced the man to get into her vehicle and they waited until officers arrived on scene.
The RCMP say two officers responded to the bridge and the bridge employee got out of the vehicle to go speak to one of the officers.
Police say MacNally then slipped behind the wheel of the bridge vehicle and, as the second officer approached the vehicle, the suspect sped away.
Investigators say the officer was hit by the driver as he approached the vehicle and was then dragged a considerable distance before breaking free.
Police say the suspect continued across the bridge before colliding with a civilian vehicle and another bridge patrol vehicle near the New Brunswick side of the span.
MacNally was arrested on scene. He has been remanded in custody until his next court appearance on Sept. 21.
The P.E.I. RCMP officer who was struck by the bridge patrol vehicle was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
No one else was injured.
The incident closed the bridge to all traffic for several hours Tuesday morning, leading to long lineups on both the New Brunswick and P.E.I. sides.
It reopened to traffic after 10 a.m.
