Two Killed, Nine Injured After Car Deliberately Rams Pedestrians in Northern France

Two people have been killed and nine others injured after a car was deliberately driven into a group of pedestrians near a train station in the northern French city of Caen, authorities said.

The incident happened at about 10:15 p.m. on Wednesday, August 26, near a bus stop opposite Caen train station in Normandy. The vehicle struck people who were gathered in the area, according to Calvados prefect David Clavière.

The death toll was initially reported as one, but authorities later revised it to two. The nine injured victims are all men, with seven reported to be in critical condition. The victims were aged between 17 and 36, according to prosecutors.

Police arrested a 26-year-old man who was born in Russia after he fled the scene. He was apprehended in the port town of Ouistreham, roughly 20 kilometres from Caen, following a major search operation.

Investigators believe the incident may have followed an altercation. Witnesses and police sources said a fight had broken out between groups of people before the suspect allegedly returned to the area in his vehicle and drove into the pedestrians.

French authorities have stressed that the incident is not currently being treated as a terrorist attack. Caen Mayor Aristide Olivier described the preliminary circumstances as a fight that escalated, while prosecutors said the investigation was still at an early stage.

The suspect was reportedly known to police for traffic offences but was not known to French intelligence services. Prosecutors have opened an investigation into possible murder and intentional violence involving a weapon.

Emergency services rushed to the scene after the crash, with several victims taken to hospital. Police cordoned off the area around the station as investigators began examining what led to the incident.

Authorities are continuing to question the suspect and witnesses as they work to establish the exact sequence of events and motive behind the attack.

The incident has shocked residents of Caen, a city in Normandy that is generally known as a major regional transport and university centre. Officials have expressed condolences to the families of those killed and injured.

The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities have cautioned against drawing conclusions about the motive while the evidence is being examined.