Delivery rider stabbed in the throat in Paris after collision; driver arrested
A 24-year-old delivery rider was stabbed in the throat in Paris's 9th arrondissement on Tuesday, 25 August, following a collision with a van. The driver, aged 29, was arrested later that day.
A minor collision escalates into attempted murder in the 9th arrondissement
A dispute between a cyclist and a motorist turned tragic on Tuesday, 25 August, on a narrow street in Paris's 9th arrondissement, according to France Info. A van struck a delivery rider travelling on a fat bike — an electric bicycle with wide tyres and high speed capability. The impact sparked an altercation, during which the cyclist punched the driver repeatedly.
The motorist then attempted to leave the scene. The delivery rider kicked the vehicle's door before running after him. It was at this point that the driver produced a knife. A witness present at the scene recounted what happened: "They arrive there. There were three of us. We managed to separate them anyway. After that, the other one got in his car and the cyclist kicks the door. The other starts driving, and the other one was running after him. He was stabbed by the driver."
A paramedic stabilises the victim; carotid artery spared
The delivery rider, aged 24, was struck in the throat and was bleeding heavily when emergency services arrived. A paramedic took charge of applying pressure to the wound. "There were already bystanders compressing the wound. So I took over with something waterproof to prevent blood from escaping. And then while we waited, we tried to talk to the person as much as possible to reassure them," she explained.
Doctors initially feared a severed carotid artery. The victim was hospitalised, but was able to leave the facility four hours later: the injury proved to be shallow.
Driver arrested; investigation into attempted murder opened
The van driver, a 29-year-old Egyptian national, was arrested later that day. An investigation into attempted murder has been opened by the authorities.
While such serious altercations remain rare, tensions between motorists and cyclists are very frequent in the capital. According to a recent survey cited by France Info, 90 per cent of Parisian cyclists report having previously suffered violence. In October 2024, a 27-year-old man, Paul Varry, was killed under the wheels of a motorist who deliberately drove into him.
Source: France Info