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Oléron Car Attack: Five Hurt, None in Critical Condition as Investigators Assess Motive

Officials now describe the wounded as stable following the driver's arrest on suspicion of attempted murder.

Overview

  • Police say the 35-year-old deliberately struck pedestrians and cyclists on Île d'Oléron before setting his car on fire and being detained.
  • Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez reports two victims remain seriously injured — a 22-year-old jogger and a 69-year-old cyclist — but none face life-threatening conditions.
  • Investigators say the suspect shouted “Allah is great” at arrest and had recently begun studying Islam, though no ideological motive has been established and he was not flagged as radicalized.
  • The anti-terror prosecutor's office is monitoring the case without taking it over, as local prosecutors pursue an attempted-murder probe and examine the suspect's prior convictions and substance use.
  • President Emmanuel Macron expressed shock and confidence in the judiciary, while Rassemblement National figures accused the government of downplaying the incident; some early reports cited higher casualty figures than officials now confirm.