A driver has rammed his car into pedestrians and cyclists on the holiday island of Oléron, off the west coast of France, injuring five people - including two who are in a critical condition.
A local man, 35, deliberately drove into people and then set fire to the vehicle, authorities said. He was immobilised with a stun gun after resisting arrest.
The man drove some distance between two villages on the island, mowing down several people, the mayor of Dolus d'Oléron, Thibault Brechkoff, said.
He is now being held by police in Saint-Pierre-d'Oléron on suspicion of attempted murder.
The incident took place around 08:45 (07:45 GMT) and lasted 35 minutes. Witnesses described a series of incidents in several places on the island, including Dolus d'Oléron and Saint-Pierre-d'Oléron, which ended outside a bakery.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, who visited the scene, stated that an inquiry has been initiated, aiming to determine the facts, including whether there were one or more gas cylinders in the suspect's vehicle.
This individual is known to police for petty crimes. He is not known to intelligence services for radicalisation of any kind, Nuñez said.
The public prosecutor for La Rochelle, Arnaud Laraize, reported that the man shouted Allahu Akbar at the time of his arrest, prompting attention from the National Anti-Terrorist Prosecutor's Office who attended the scene only as observers.
One of the severely injured victims is a 22-year-old woman suffering from multiple traumas, while the other is a 69-year-old cyclist. Nuñez mentioned: There will likely be several other people involved; that is, even if they weren't physically harmed, they witnessed the scene and are obviously very psychologically disturbed by these events.
Oléron, a popular holiday destination, is metropolitan France's second largest island after Corsica, connected to the mainland by a road bridge.
