Mannequin hanging from Nova Scotia highway overpass damages ambulance

An ambulance in Nova Scotia sustained significant damage Saturday night after the driver struck a mannequin hanging from an overpass on Highway 101.

Police were alerted to the incident around 9:25 p.m., when Meteghan RCMP responded to a report of a vehicle that hit a mannequin hanging from an overpass in New Edinburgh, N.S.

Police say the ambulance was travelling on New Edinburgh Road when it struck the low-hanging mannequin.

According to an RCMP news release issued Monday, the ambulance’s windshield was significantly damaged and the vehicle was no longer operable. The release adds there were no injuries reported from the two paramedics and patient in the ambulance at the time.

When officers removed the mannequin from the guardrail of the overpass, they noticed it was dressed in orange clothing and was marked with “Justice for Vernon.”

Meteghan RCMP says it believes the case is connected to a Feb. 25 incident in Little Brook, N.S., where police responded to a report of a suspicious object resembling a person hanging from a Highway 101 overpass onto Little Brook Road.

During the February incident, police say the object was quickly identified as a mannequin and removed from the overpass without incident. At the time, the mannequin was dressed in a sweater with blue jeans and shoes.

A campaign known as “Justice for Vernon” began in March 2022 following the death of Vernon Doucet in the Yarmouth, N.S., area. The campaign saw community members raise a $10,000 reward for credible information provided anonymously through email, or by sharing details online using #JusticeForVernon.

Investigations are underway into both cases, and police are asking anyone with information about the incidents to contact Meteghan RCMP at 902-645-2326 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.