Car ploughs into pedestrians in Caen: two dead, 26-year-old suspect in custody
A car deliberately struck pedestrians near Caen railway station on Wednesday evening, killing two people and leaving several others seriously injured. The terrorist angle is ruled out at this stage.
Two dead and a suspect arrested after vehicle-ramming attack in Caen
Two people died after a driver deliberately drove a car into pedestrians gathered under a bus shelter opposite Caen railway station (Calvados) on Wednesday evening, 26 August at approximately 22:10. According to France Info, Caen's public prosecutor's office opened an investigation for "murder" and "wilful violence with a weapon".
A brawl at the origin of events
David Clavière, prefect of Calvados, confirmed Wednesday evening that the vehicle had "deliberately ploughed into pedestrians who were on the public road opposite the station". According to Caen's mayor, Aristide Olivier, interviewed on ICI Normandie, the car had accelerated sharply "after a brawl". Witnesses reported "a fight between two groups" and "an angry man" who reportedly returned to the scene.
A police source cited by France Télévisions clarifies that the suspect had been attacked earlier in the evening by a group of individuals. He reportedly made a first pass through the square before spotting the people with whom he had had a dispute, then drove into them at the level of the bus shelters. The driver then fled at high speed.
Toll worsens the day after the tragedy
An initial toll communicated Wednesday evening by the Calvados prefecture stated one death and ten injured, including "seven people in absolute emergency, three people in relative emergency". Joël Garrigue, public prosecutor for Caen, specified in a statement that the first victim who died was a man in his thirties. The injured were transported to several hospital departments in Caen and Lisieux.
The toll worsened the following morning with news of a second death. This second victim had been admitted to Caen University Hospital, where he did not survive his injuries, according to France 3 Normandie.
Arrest thanks to CCTV
The driver was apprehended Wednesday evening, reports ICI Normandie. The car was traced thanks to the city's CCTV camera network. The municipal police transmitted the registration number, the vehicle description and the direction taken by the suspect to police and gendarmerie services. The man was finally arrested in the Ouistreham area, some twenty kilometres from Caen, whilst the car was found in the town of Amfreville.
"We must commend the extremely swift action of emergency and security services that night", declared mayor Aristide Olivier the following morning.
Suspect born in Russia with no criminal record
The suspect is 26 years old and "born in Russia", according to the prefect of Calvados. He is "not known to intelligence services" and is known to police "only for traffic offences". Caen's public prosecutor emphasises that he was "in regular status on national territory" and that "his criminal record was previously clean".
According to his "initial statements", the suspect claims to have "been subjected to an assault opposite Caen railway station earlier in the evening".
Terrorist angle not retained at this stage
Philippe Leonardo, deputy public prosecutor for Caen, declared at a press briefing Wednesday evening: "We currently have one person in custody. Investigations are only just beginning. We are looking into what may have led this driver to commit these acts. Presumably, we are not dealing with a 'terrorist' motivation but investigations are only just beginning." The investigation was assigned to the Calvados division of organised and specialised crime.
An area already under surveillance
Caen's mayor recalled that the railway station district is "an area which we had alerts on for several months already" and on which the authorities intervene "very regularly, even daily, to address the difficulties, notably drug trafficking". Aristide Olivier indicated that the tragedy would "consequently mean that we must obviously, particularly in liaison with the national police, strengthen our action". He described the event as an "absolute tragedy, in circumstances that remain to be determined".
Source: France Info