Bordeaux — A 35-year-old man Wednesday rammed his car into pedestrians and cyclists on the French Atlantic island of Oleron, wounding 10 people, including four seriously, a prosecutor said.
The Oleron resident “deliberately hit several pedestrians and cyclists” along a main road on the scenic island off the western city of La Rochelle, prosecutor Arnaud Laraize said.
When he was arrested, he cried “God is the greatest” in Arabic, the magistrate said.
Police have arrested the man and are investigating him for alleged attempted murder, but the motive behind the apparent attack was not immediately clear, Laraize added.
A source following the case earlier said the man had “deliberately hit” the victims, across several miles.
Multiple French news outlets said the suspect was well known to the local police for previous offenses, including theft and drug and alcohol abuse, and driving under influence.
The prosecutor said the ramming occurred on a road joining the towns of Dolus d’Oleron and Saint-Pierre d’Oleron.
The mayor of Dolus d’Oleron confirmed the suspect was a resident.
