HALIFAX -- A 29-year-old man from Renaud Mills, N.B. has been charged with attempted murder and seven other offences following an incident in the community early Saturday morning.

New Brunswick RCMP says at approximately 1:20 a.m. on April 17, officers responded to a report of an assault at a home on Renaud Mills Road.

An injured woman was transported to hospital and later released.

Police say the suspect fled the scene in a vehicle before police arrived.

Later Saturday morning, police received a call of an erratic driver on the Trans-Canada Highway in Havelock. Police identified the vehicle as matching the description of the one involved in the earlier incident.

A marked police cruiser activated its emergency lights and attempted to pull over the vehicle, but police say the driver failed to stop and fled the scene.

A short time later, police deployed a spike-belt near the Shediac exit on Route 11.

Police say the vehicle's tires were punctured by the spike belt before the vehicle collided with three police cruisers blocking the road.

The driver was arrested following the collision. No one was injured. The road was temporarily closed in order to conduct an investigation into the collision, but has since reopened.

James Bastarache, 29, of Renauld Mills appeared in Moncton Provincial Court on April 20, and was charged with the following:

  • • attempted murder
  • • aggravated assault
  • • assault with a weapon (two counts)
  • • assault
  • • operating a motor vehicle while being pursued by a police officer
  • • dangerous operation of a motor vehicle
  • • resisting or obstructing a police officer

Bastarache was remanded into custody and is scheduled to return to court on April 23 for a bail hearing.

Police say the investigation is ongoing.