Driver rams into pedestrians in western France, nine injured

A driver rammed into pedestrians and cyclists on France's Oleron island off its Atlantic coast on Wednesday, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said, and at least nine people were injured before he was arrested, according to local officials.

Mayor of Dolus-d'Oleron, Thibault Brechkoff, told BFM TV that two of the injured were in intensive care - some French media later said that was the case for four of them.

Le Parisien newspaper said investigators were looking into the possibility that the suspect might be mentally disturbed. 

French media said the motive for the attack remained unclear and that the anti-terrorism prosecutor's office was not in charge of the inquiry at this stage. The prosecutor's office could not immediately be reached for comment.

The man, who is said to be 35 years of age, was previously known to police for petty crime including driving under the influence, as well as drug-related offences, local newspaper Charente Libre and other French media reported, citing the mayor of Saint-Pierre d’Oleron, Christophe Sueur.

"He is known for minor offences such as theft," Sud Ouest newspaper quoted Laraize, the prosecutor, as saying. "He was not on the S watchlist," he said, referring to an investigators' list of radicalised individuals.

Charente Libre newspaper said the suspect is French, without citing sources.

The suspect also tried to set fire to his car, which contained one or several gas canisters, French media reported.