A 51-year-old suspect is in police custody after an early morning rampage that saw him allegedly attempt to level a home with a front-end loader on Nova Scotia’s Cape Breton Island.

According to police, the demolition derby began around 5 a.m. in North Sydney, N.S. when the reportedly knocked over a power pole, ripping it from the ground.

“I looked out the bedroom window and next thing you know, he was ramming at the pole, ramming at the pole,” neighbour Gary Standing, who witnessed the mayhem after being awoken by a loud bang, told CTV Atlantic.

“I said, ‘Oh my gosh -- he’s doing this on purpose!’ And then he turned around and he just went right through the side of the house.”

Fearing for his life, Standing immediately called 911.

“I’ve never seen anything like that in my life,” he said. “It was pretty scary for my wife and I because you don’t know if he’s going to turn around and do all the houses in the neighbourhood.”

Fortunately for Standing, the tractor driver soon fled the scene. According to police, no one was in the home at the time and no one was injured.

The machine was soon spotted by police several kilometres away. Refusing to stop, the driver eventually slammed the loader into a concrete barrier in front of a Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation store, police said.

“At that time, officers were able to approach the man, convince him to come out of the machine and place him under arrest,” Cape Breton Regional Police spokesperson Desiree Vassallo told CTV Atlantic.

Police have not identified the suspect, saying only that he is a 51-year-old Sydney, N.S. resident.

“I can say this is the first time I’ve heard of something like this happening, and I’ve been working here for 10 years,” Vassallo added. “And in this case, it’s a very isolated incident as the individuals involved are known to each other.”

How the driver and the homeowner know each other has not been revealed. Police have also not commented on where the loader came from, or if it was stolen, adding that the investigation is ongoing and charges are pending.

With a report from CTV Atlantic’s Kyle Moore