A driver has ploughed into a crowd of people on a French holiday island after reportedly shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’.
The car ramming has left ten people injured. Reports indicate that three are seriously hurt, with several victims airlifted to the University Hospital of Poitiers.
It took place at around 8.45am on Wednesday between the villages of Dolus-d’Oléron and Saint-Pierre-d’Oléron, an island known as a top holiday destination off France’s West Coast.
According to French media, the driver deliberately steered his vehicle toward pedestrians and a cyclist.
Witnesses claimed the man shouted ‘Allahu Akbar’ before accelerating, though investigators have not yet confirmed that detail.
Police are also examining whether the suspect may have been suffering from mental health problems. French media have indicated that at this stage, the anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office is not involved in the investigation.
A short time later, officers arrested the suspect as he reportedly tried to set his car on fire. He was taken into custody without resistance.
Local reports say the man is a French national in his thirties and lives in La Cotiniere, a village on the west coast of the Île d’Oléron.
The mayor of Saint-Pierre-d’Oléron, Christophe Sueur told Le Parisien: ‘He is known for his numerous transgressions, notably due to his regular drug and alcohol use.’
Reports say the man is not listed in the country’s database used to monitor individuals suspected of radicalisation.
Police and prosecutors have opened an investigation, and the motive remains under review.
According to traffic information from Info Traffic 17, a first incident which involved a vehicle and a pedestrian, occurred near the Intermarché supermarket in Dolus-d’Oléron.
A second, involving a pedestrian, happened on Route du Treuil, in the same town. The driver is said to have hit a cyclist.
On X, the Minister of the Interior, Laurent Nuñez wrote: ‘This morning, a driver struck several pedestrians and cyclists in Saint-Pierre-d’Oléron and Dolus-d’Oléron.
‘Two victims are in critical condition and three others were injured. The driver was apprehended by the police. An investigation is underway. At the request of the Prime Minister, I am going there.’
This is a breaking news story with more to follow
