Man, 29, dead after fleeing police and falling off Macdonald Bridge

A 29-year-old man is dead after Halifax Regional Police say he fled police on foot Monday morning and fell off the Macdonald Bridge.

In a news release, police said officers became involved in a "slow speed pursuit" of a man who they say was driving dangerously around the MacKay and Macdonald bridges at around 2:30 a.m.

At a news conference Monday,HRP Const. John MacLeodsaidthe original dangerous driving call was in Highfield Park and that police chased the driver across the Macdonald, then the MacKay and then the Macdonald again.

After the chase, police say the man got out of his vehicle and fled. Police chased after him and the manthen fell off the Macdonald Bridge and died, police say.

MacLeodsaid police and the Serious Incident Response Team, the province's independent police watchdog, are trying to determine how the man was able to get around the barriers on the bridge before his fall.

Daryl Mombourquettewas walking across the Macdonald Bridge toDartmouth this morning and saw part of the chase.

"I could hear sirens and you know I'm like, 'What the heck is that?'"

He said he saw six police cars and a police wagon.

"And in the midst of them there was a car without lights on the roof. And they were coming over at a good rate of speed."

Mombourquetteestimates the convoy was travelling at around 20 kilometres abovethe posted speed limit of 50 km/h on the bridge.

A little while later, Mombourquette says he saw the same car come back over the bridge again "with sparks coming out from under it."

He called 911 and told the dispatcher the car police were looking for was once again crossing the Macdonald Bridge.

"I got out of the way because I'm like, 'OK, this guy's coming at a rate of speed, I'm on the sidewalk. I'm gonna stand way the hell over here because, you know, I don't know where he's going and I don't know what's going to happen but I don't want him to lose control and run me over."

SIRT expected to have more details later Monday.

"This investigation is in its very early moments and we don't know a lot at this point," Eric Taylor, SIRT's acting director, said early Monday.