A West Gardiner man was arrested early Wednesday morning after allegedly driving a sport utility vehicle into two people Tuesday night in Gardiner.

The two people were taken to the hospital for their injuries and the driver, 20-year-old Dakota Brann, was arrested on two counts of elevated aggravated assault, said Gardiner Police Chief James Toman. He was taken to the Kennebec County jail.

Dakota Brann

Brann also has been charged with leaving the scene of an accident and two counts of aggravated driving to endanger, according to complaint filed by prosecutors at the Capital Judicial Center. His bail was set at $30,000.

The alleged assault was reported at 6:04 p.m. Tuesday after Brann got into an argument with a man and woman near their home on Winter Street in Gardiner, Toman said. According to witnesses, Brann decided to leave the scene in a 2005 Cadillac Escalade and allegedly drove the vehicle into the man and the woman.

The two were taken to MaineGeneral Medical Center, and one of them was taken later to Maine Medical Center in Portland, Toman said. Police think both will be released from the hospital Wednesday.

Brann initially fled the scene, but he later agreed to meet with police at the Gardiner station, Toman said. He went there early Wednesday morning, and police took him to the hospital for a mental evaluation before bringing him to jail.

“Witnesses felt this was an intentional act and not a result of an accident,” Toman said. “So after several hours, we were able to locate the driver. He came into the Gardiner PD and met with investigators. He was subsequently arrested.”

Police have seized the Cadillac Escalade and are continuing to investigate the alleged assaults, Toman said. Maine State Police assisted with the investigation.

Charles Eichacker — 621-5642

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Twitter: @ceichacker

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