A man has been arrested after deliberately driving his car into a crowd of pedestrians and cyclists on the French holiday island of Île d’Oléron, off the country’s Atlantic coast, on Wednesday morning. According to reports, at least ten people were injured in the attack, four of them critically.
France’s Interior Minister, Laurent Nuñez, confirmed that the suspect had been detained and that an investigation has been launched to determine his motives, including whether mental health issues may have played a role.
Christophe Sueur, the mayor of Saint-Pierre-d’Oléron, where the incident occurred, revealed that the driver “intentionally set fire to his vehicle” after ramming pedestrians and cyclists before being stopped by police. He added that the suspect was already known to authorities for “abnormal behaviour” and alcohol-related problems.
During his arrest, the suspect shouted “Allahu Akbar,” Arnaud Laraize, public prosecutor in La Rochelle, said.
