Car rams into crowd outside bar in northern France, killing one

Original article by Clea Skopeliti and agencies

A man has driven a car into a crowd outside a bar in northern France after a dispute in which one person was killed and five others injured, according to prosecutors.

The incident took place in the town of Évreux, Normandy, at about 4am on Saturday.

Authorities have launched an investigation into homicide and attempted homicide, with prosecutors saying they had ruled out terrorism as a motive. Police have taken two men and a woman into custody.

“Unfortunately, the toll is very heavy,” Rémi Coutin, the local prosecutor, said. Of the five people who were injured, two were in critical condition.

The attack took place after an altercation between a young woman and several men, Coutin said, with staff escorting the wine bar’s customers outside.

The prosecutors said the altercation had “escalated and ended in a terrible tragedy” after a man entered a vehicle and “deliberately reversed at high speed into the crowd outside the establishment”.

Guy Lefrand, the mayor of Évreux, said in a statement posted on social media: “This morning I was informed of a serious incident that occurred in front of La Winery on Winston Churchill avenue. A fight broke out, causing a crowd to erupt, and a vehicle struck several people.”

Lefrand noted that one person had been killed and five others injured, and offered his condolences: “I would like to express my deepest sympathy and solidarity with the victims, their families and loved ones.”

Commending the emergency services and police for their response, the mayor added: “The situation has now returned to calm. An investigation is under way to establish the exact circumstances of this tragedy.”