A car plowed into a crowd in the northwestern French city of Caen on Wednesday night (August 26), resulting in at least one death and ten injuries, with seven of the injured in serious condition. Police have arrested a 26-year-old man, and prosecutors have stated that there is currently no evidence to suggest a terrorist motive behind the incident.
According to reports from Agence France-Presse, the incident occurred around 10:15 p.m. local time on a street across from the Caen train station. Local government officials stated that the vehicle involved appeared to intentionally strike pedestrians on the road. A police source mentioned that prior to the incident, a fight had broken out at a nearby bar, and authorities are investigating whether the two incidents are related.
Official reports indicate that a total of 11 people were either killed or injured, with one fatality, seven in critical condition, and three with less serious injuries. The victims were all males aged between 17 and 40, and the identity of the deceased has not been released.
After the incident, the suspect fled the scene in a car and was later captured by police in Ouistreham, approximately 20 kilometers from Caen. Authorities stated that the suspect was born in Russia and had not been previously flagged by intelligence agencies, with police only having records of his involvement in traffic violations.
Prosecutors in Caen have launched an investigation into suspected murder and intentional harm, with police reviewing surveillance footage to determine the sequence of events and motive behind the incident. Prosecutors have noted that at present, there is no evidence to suggest a terrorist motive.