Driver in France plows into crowd – shouted “Allahu Akbar” upon arrest

A driver crashed into pedestrians and cyclists on the French island of Île d'Oléron, popular with tourists, on the Atlantic coast. According to Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, two injured people are receiving intensive medical care.

Nuñez said on the X platform that the driver had been arrested by the police, who are investigating the incident.

The mayor of Dolus-d'Oléron, Thibault Brechkoff, told BFM TV that a total of about nine people were injured. The suspect is around 30 years old, he added.

According to BFM TV, the man shouted “Allahu Akbar” (Arabic for “God is the greatest”) when he was arrested. The newspaper Le Parisien also reported on the incident, adding that investigators are looking into whether the perpetrator may have been mentally ill.

According to French media, the anti-terrorism prosecutor's office is not currently involved in the investigation. The authority was initially unavailable for comment.

(reuters, lud)