Caen: Driver arrested after hitting crowd, killing two, charged with murder

A 26-year-old Russian man of Chechen origin has been charged with murder and attempted murder after intentionally driving his car into a group of young men near the Caen train station, killing two and injuring nine.

The driver, who resides legally in France and has no criminal record, reportedly deviated his trajectory to hit the victims after an altercation. The victims, aged 17 to 36, were of various nationalities, including Afghan, French, Egyptian, Bangladeshi, and Sudanese. The two deceased were Afghan men aged 28 and 35.

Caen's public prosecutor, Joël Garrigue, has excluded terrorism as a motive, stating that no elements of radicalization or political nature have been found. Investigations are exploring other hypotheses, including animosity between the Chechen and Afghan communities or a personal romantic dispute, as suggested by the mayor of Caen.

The driver fled the scene but was apprehended by gendarmes about 20 kilometers away in Ouistreham. He denies the accusations, claiming the victims were part of a group he was arguing with. The prosecutor noted that the suspect did not attempt to brake or avoid the pedestrians.