Fatal Vehicle Attack in Caen
A man drove a car into a group of people in the French city of Caen late on Wednesday, killing one person and wounding ten others before being detained, according to multiple sources. The incident occurred at around 10:15 pm local time (2015 GMT) in the Normandy city, a region in northwestern France.
Local prefect David Claviere said the car "deliberately drove into pedestrians in the street opposite the train station" and reported that seven people were in critical condition and three had minor injuries. A spokesperson for the local administration of Calvados confirmed to the BBC that four people were receiving treatment in the emergency ward of a nearby hospital, while six others were being treated for less serious injuries.
The suspect, identified as a 26-year-old man born in Russia, was not known to intelligence services but was known to police "only for traffic offences," according to Claviere. After fleeing the scene, he was apprehended in the nearby town of Ouistreham, approximately 20 kilometres (12.5 miles) away, a police source said.
Investigation and Motive
The deputy prosecutor stated that the incident was not thought to have a terrorist motive, adding: "For the moment, we are not dealing with a terrorist motive, but the investigation is only just beginning." Police have opened an investigation on charges of murder and aggravated assault.
A police source said the ramming is thought to have occurred after a fight, and local media reported that a fight had broken out near a bar before the incident. Bruno Coutanceau, a top security official for Caen, told AFP that all of the victims seemed to be men aged between 17 and 40.
Detectives from Caen's Specialised Crime Division are leading the investigation. Locals have been told to avoid the area around the Caen train station, and social media videos from the scene appear to show crowds gathering around police cars and ambulances, with a large area cordoned off.