A New Brunswick man is honouring a fallen Mountie who he credits with saving his life on June 4, 2014.

On that day, Justin Bourque killed three RCMP constables, David Ross, Fabrice Gevaudan and Doug Larche, and injured two others in a high-profile shootout in Moncton, N.B.

As Mounties risked their lives to contain the situation and the surrounding neighbourhood went into lockdown, Stephane LeMay was on his way home.

He was driving in his car when somebody stepped in front of him.

"The gentleman … started shooing me back and telling me to turn around," LeMay told CTV Atlantic. "I started to back up and he was insistent that I turn around and not just back up."

LeMay followed the instructions, turning around and taking an alternate route.

It wasn't until a couple days later, while speaking with police, that LeMay realized the significance of the encounter.

"I put two and two together and I realized that it was (Const.) Larche," LeMay said. "He'd just gotten shot, just as I was leaving the scene."

Now, LeMay says, he owes his life to Larche. Without the Mountie's warning, LeMay said he would have driven right in front of Bourque.

"Had (Larche) not done that I'd have driven directly into the line of fire, so, to me, he saved my life," LeMay said.

In honour of Larche and the other Mounties who gave their lives that day, LeMay held a fundraiser, raising $2,400 in memory of the constables.

He used the money to build a bench with an inscription dedicated to Larche, Ross, Gevaudan, and the residents in the area who spent 30 hours under lockdown.

The seat was installed last week, in the same area where the shootings occurred.

LeMay said his encounter with Larche made a lasting impression, and helped him better appreciate the risks Mounties take in order to protect others.

Now, he hopes that the bench will help the community remember and honour those sacrifices.

"That haunts me, just that idea," he said. "Even if (the RCMP) knew (Bourque) was targeting police, they still would have done the same thing, I'm sure."

With files from CTV Atlantic