ONE KILLED, FIVE INJURED AS CAR RAMS INTO CROWD IN FRANCE

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Agency report

A man deliberately drove his car into a crowd outside a wine bar in northern France after an altercation early Saturday, leaving one person dead and five others injured, including two critically, prosecutors told AFP.

The incident occurred around 4:00 am (0200 GMT) in the town of Evreux, located in the Normandy region.

Prosecutors confirmed that an investigation has been launched for homicide and attempted homicide but ruled out any “terrorist” or racist motives.

“Unfortunately, the toll is very heavy,” Evreux public prosecutor Remi Coutin said, noting that one man died at the scene.

According to him, five others sustained injuries, with two in critical condition. He explained that “there was an altercation” between a young woman and several men, after which bouncers escorted everyone outside the bar in the town centre.

“One person went to fetch a vehicle” and “deliberately reversed at high speed into the crowd outside the establishment,” Coutin said, adding that the situation had “escalated and ended in a tragedy.”

Three people — the driver, another man, and a woman — have been taken into custody, with more arrests possible, prosecutors said.

Evreux Mayor Guy Lefrand extended his “deepest sympathy and solidarity with the victims, their families and loved ones.”

“I commend the rapid response of the police and emergency services,” he added.

A police source said that officers arriving at the scene met a panicked crowd, many of whom appeared intoxicated.

Speaking to BFMTV, Lefrand also remarked that the wine bar should have closed earlier. “It is an establishment with a bad reputation,” he said.