Key Points
- Seven injured people were in critical condition
- Police said terrorism was not suspected initially
ISLAMABAD: France’s car ramming leaves one person killed and 10 others wounded in the northwestern French city of Caen late Wednesday, prompting a murder investigation and the arrest of a 26-year-old suspect.
The incident occurred late in the evening local time near Caen train station in France, where the vehicle struck pedestrians in the street, according to local officials and police sources.
Local prefect David Claviere said the car had “deliberately” driven into pedestrians. Seven of the injured were in critical condition, and three suffered minor injuries, according to the prefect.
Firefighters initially reported that four people had suffered serious injuries and six had been lightly hurt.
Police said the incident appeared to have followed a fight in the area. The suspect allegedly returned to his vehicle after the confrontation and drove into the group before fleeing the scene.
He was later arrested in Ouistreham, about 20 kilometres from Caen in France, according to a police source.
The suspect, a 26-year-old man born in Russia, was not known to French intelligence services, Claviere said. He was known to police only for traffic offences.
The deputy prosecutor said authorities were investigating the incident as a possible case of murder and aggravated assault.
Investigators in France not dealing with terrorist motive
“For the moment, we are not dealing with a terrorist motive,” the prosecutor said, cautioning that the investigation was still in its early stages, according to The Straits Times.
Officials said the victims appeared to be men aged between 17 and 40. Authorities did not immediately release the identity of the person who died.
READ ALSO: Man Arrested After Car Ramming ‘Attack’ Injures 28 in Germany
The incident comes against the backdrop of heightened security concerns in France following a series of attacks in recent years involving vehicles being used to target pedestrians.
However, authorities have so far drawn no connection between the Caen incident and terrorism.
France’s police have cordoned off the area and launched an investigation to establish the circumstances of the confrontation that preceded the ramming and determine the suspect’s motive.
The case remained under investigation on Thursday, with authorities expected to provide further details as the suspect is questioned and evidence from the scene is examined.
