The driver suspected of deliberately ramming into a group of people Wednesday evening near Caen train station has been charged with murder and attempted murder. The attack left two dead and nine injured. The 26-year-old driver has been remanded in custody.
The suspect is a Russian national of Chechen origin who resides legally in France. He had no prior convictions and was not known to intelligence services. No evidence of radicalization or political motivation has been uncovered at this stage, leading the prosecutor's office to rule out terrorism.
A trajectory deliberately directed towards the victims
Initial findings indicate that the driver swerved to hit a group of about ten young men after an altercation. He apparently neither braked nor attempted to avoid them. The two deceased, aged 28 and 35, were Afghan nationals. The injured are between 17 and 36 years old, and several suffered leg fractures.
Investigators are looking into possible tensions between members of the Chechen and Afghan communities, as well as the possibility of a lovers' quarrel. No link to the drug trafficking reported near the train station has been established. After the incident, the driver fled the scene before being apprehended by police in Ouistreham, about 20 kilometers from Caen.
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