French authorities are investigating a deadly vehicle attack in Caen after a 26-year-old Russian-born man allegedly drove into people gathered near a bus stop following a bar altercation, killing two and injuring at least 10 before fleeing the scene.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom.
French authorities are investigating a deadly incident in the northern city of Caen after a driver allegedly accelerated into a group of people Wednesday night, killing two and injuring at least 10 others.
The collision occurred at about 10:15 p.m. local time following an altercation at a nearby bar, according to BFMTV.
French authorities believe the driver acted deliberately.
A witness cited by the broadcaster said several of the victims were sitting on a bench at a bus stop moments before the car struck them.
The vehicle “came from the other side at full speed and ran over everyone,” the witness said.
Initial reports listed one fatality, but French media confirmed a second death Thursday morning.
A judicial source told BFMTV that those struck included French, Bangladeshi, Egyptian and Afghan nationals between the ages of 17 and 36.
Some of the injured were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, according to a local government spokesperson who spoke with the BBC.
The suspected driver fled after the collision but was later arrested approximately 12 miles away near Ouistreham.
The BBC identified the suspect as a 26-year-old man who was born in Russia.
French officials said the suspect “is not known to intelligence agencies.”
Authorities said he does, however, have a previous record involving traffic offenses with local police.
Investigators have not initially classified the incident as terrorism.
Officials said that “at first glance” they do not believe the vehicle attack was terrorist-related, while stressing that the investigation remains in its earliest stages and the motive has not been definitively established.
Bruno Coutanceau, deputy director of security at Caen City Hall, told AFP that authorities have opened an investigation involving allegations of murder and intentional violence with a weapon.
Forensic teams worked through the night and into Thursday collecting evidence from bus lanes and other areas connected to the scene.
According to Le Monde, investigators examined several locations as they reconstructed the driver’s movements and the circumstances surrounding the collision.
Reports varied slightly on the number of injured, with some French coverage listing nine people hurt while other accounts placed the toll at at least 10.
Emergency measures that had been put in place around Caen’s train station following the incident were lifted by Thursday morning.
Authorities are now attempting to determine what happened during the confrontation preceding the crash, why the driver allegedly targeted the group and whether anyone else was involved.
The available evidence has led investigators to treat the collision as an intentional act rather than an ordinary traffic accident.
For now, however, French officials have stopped short of attributing a broader ideological or terrorist motive to the attack.
The suspect remains in custody as investigators pursue murder and intentional-violence allegations and continue gathering evidence from the scene.
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