At around 10:15 pm local time on August 26, a man intentionally drove a car into a group of pedestrians near the train station in Caen, Normandy, France, killing one person and injuring 10 others [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. David Claviere, Prefect of Calvados, said, "The car deliberately drove into pedestrians in the street opposite the train station" [3].
The victims were all men aged between 17 and 40 years old. Seven of the injured were in critical condition, while three sustained serious but less critical injuries, according to local officials. Claviere described the toll as heavy: "We have one death, seven people in critical condition and three people in serious but not critical condition" [4].
The attack followed a fight or quarrel inside a nearby bar before the driver used the vehicle to run into the crowd [1, 2, 3].
The suspect is a 26-year-old man born in Russia who was only known to police for prior traffic offenses; he was not on any intelligence watchlists [2, 3, 5]. After the incident, he fled the scene but was captured approximately 20 kilometers away in Ouistreham [2, 3, 5].
Police and prosecutors are investigating the case on charges of murder and aggravated assault. A deputy prosecutor stated, "For the moment, we are not dealing with a terrorist motive, but the investigation is only just beginning" [5].
Authorities have asked residents to avoid the area around Caen train station while emergency services continue their work [1, 6].
