One person has died and ten others were injured after a car rammed into a crowd outside a railway station in Caen, northwest France. Seven of the injured were admitted to nearby hospitals in critical condition, while three others suffered minor injuries, according to local politician David Claviere.
Incident follows bar fight
The incident took place on Wednesday, after a fight allegedly occurred at around 10.30pm local time at a bar near the train station. A police source said the ramming is thought to have happened after the fight, with one of the men involved in the earlier scuffle returning to his parked vehicle. He is understood to have gotten behind the wheel before he "deliberately drove into pedestrians in the street opposite the train station", as per police.
Initial reports suggested two people had been killed, but firefighters and police later stated there had been at least one death.
Suspect arrested
The driver allegedly fled the scene but was arrested shortly afterwards about 12.5 miles from the scene, a police source told France 24. A 26-year-old Russian national remains in police custody. It is understood that he is known to the police "only for traffic offences", and not known to intelligence services.
All the victims hurt in the attack appear to be men, between 17 and 40 years of age, France24 reports.
Investigation underway
City security officials have confirmed a formal investigation is now under way regarding possible charges of murder and aggravated assault. Claviere, the local prefect for Caen, told the French press the attack does not appear to be motivated by terrorism. Declining to provide further details, he said: "for the moment, we are not dealing with a terrorist motive, but the investigation is only just beginning."
