Overview
- Police say a car with five occupants struck two vehicles at a red light around 4 a.m. on Avenue de la République near the A86 exit in Nanterre.
- One of the hit cars caught fire and its lone driver died, while the second driver was hospitalized with life‑threatening injuries.
- Four passengers from the striking vehicle were arrested with minor injuries and told investigators they had consumed nitrous oxide.
- The suspected driver fled on foot and is sought by authorities, who are treating nitrous oxide use as a contributing factor in the crash.
- Rising recreational use among young people has drawn official warnings, with 14% of 18–24 year‑olds reporting experimentation in 2022 and a recent temporary ban in Hauts‑de‑Seine proving insufficient to halt incidents.