UPDATED: RCMP identify impaired driving suspect who ran over officer’s foot in New Minas

NEW MINAS, N.S. — RCMP have identified the suspect in an assault on an officer in New Minas on Thursday.

Just before 2 a.m., RCMP stopped a blue 2010 Hyundai Tucson after noticing it driving erratically on Highbury Road.

During the incident, in order to determine if the driver was impaired, the officer asked the man to get out of the vehicle for a breath sample.

Mounties say the driver refused to do so and fled  in the vehicle, running over the officer’s foot in the process.

Another traffic stop was attempted, but the driver refused to stop.

Eventually, the vehicle appeared to have mechanical issues and came to a stop on a ramp for Exit 12 of Highway 101, at which point the driver fled on foot.

RCMP searched the area with help from a K9 unit but could not find the man.

The suspect’s vehicle was impounded for forensic analysis. The officer was taken to hospital for treatment of injuries and released.

Police issued a public appeal for assistance Friday morning and announced that night that they had identified the suspect. They thanked the public for their shares on social media.