Five people have been injured, two seriously, after a driver rammed into pedestrians and cyclists on the French Atlantic island of Île d'Oléron. The interior minister, Laurent Nuñez, said the suspect deliberately hit people on foot or bicycle during a 35-minute journey starting at 8.40am on Wednesday.
The 35-year-old local man, a fisherman, was arrested after being shot with a stun gun. He had tried to set fire to his car after the attacks. The mayor of Saint-Pierre d'Oléron described him as well-known for problem behaviour and alcohol issues.
Nuñez confirmed the man shouted 'Allahu Akbar' when arrested, but said the motive was unclear. The anti-terrorism prosecutor's office is not yet involved. Investigators are exploring the possibility of mental disturbance; the suspect had a criminal record for petty crime and drink-driving but was not on security watchlists.
One of the seriously injured victims is a parliamentary assistant to a far-right MP. The number of victims was revised down from earlier reports of nine.
The La Rochelle prosecutor said the attacks occurred between the towns of Saint-Pierre d'Oléron and Dolus d'Oléron. The suspect is a French citizen known for common law offences, according to junior minister Marie-Pierre Vedrenne.
