Man charged with attempted murder in road rage case

Halifax RCMP have charged a 26-year-old man with attempted murder after an alleged road rage incident in Lawrencetown last week in which a man was struck by a vehicle.

The man was hit in a parking lot on Lawrencetown Road at about 12:30 p.m. on Feb. 24.

Cpl. Lisa Croteau said she doesn't know what initially led to the incident, but the victim first became aware of a red vehicle driving behind him southbound on Ross Road. When the victim turned left on Lawrencetown Road, the red vehicle tried to pull in front of his own.

The red vehicle then drove the wrong way in the oncoming lane beside the victim's car and made a “threatening gesture," before pulling back in behind the victim, investigators said.

When the victim pulled into the parking lot, the red vehicle followed him, and when the victim got out of his vehicle to talk to the other driver, the red car turned around and headed directly at him.

The victim tried unsuccessfully to get out of the way, but was struck by the side of the red car before it drove off.

The victim, a 49-year-old man from Lawrencetown, was taken to hospital with nonlife-threatening injuries and later released.

Police arrested a suspect a short time later.

John Alexander Garnier, 26, and also of Lawrencetown, was later released. Besides attempted murder, he has been charged with assault with a weapon, uttering threats, dangerous driving, breach of probation and mischief under $5,000.

Croteau said the two men were not known to one another.

Garnier is scheduled to appear in Dartmouth provincial court March 30.