A car ploughed into the outdoor terrace of a pizzeria in the small town of Sept-Sorts east of Paris on Monday, killing a 12-year-old girl and seriously injuring several other people.
The driver deliberately targeted the diners, said a local prosecutor who announced he was ruling out terrorism and opening a murder investigation.
"There is no doubt that he voluntarily decided to create what happened," prosecutor Eric de Valroger told reporters at the scene of the incident.
No weapon was found in the vehicle, the prosecutor added.
Interior Ministry spokesman Pierre-Henry Brandet told Reuters the driver was a "depressive" aged 32 and described him as an unstable character.
The incident occurred on a warm summer's evening on the eve of a national holiday and witnesses said the outdoor eating area was busy.
A photograph published on social media showed a grey BMW car surrounded by upturned tables in the outdoor seating area of a restaurant. Reuters could not immediately verify the authenticity of the image.
Brandet said five victims were being treated in hospital for life-threatening injuries. Eight others suffered minor injuries and seven were treated for shock.
"Everyone on the terrace was hit," one witness told BFM TV.
A police source said the driver lived in a neighbouring village to Sept-Sorts, about 41 km (25.6 miles) to the east of Paris, and had tried to commit suicide on Sunday.
The incident occurred less than a week after an Algerian national was arrested on suspicion of deliberately ramming a hire car into a group of soldiers on a patrol in the Paris suburb of Levallois-Perret, injuring six of them.
The soldiers were part of Operation Sentinel, launched in the wake of Islamist attacks in Paris in early 2015. The Levallois-Perret attack was the 15th on troops and police in the last two-and-a-half years, many of them Islamic State-inspired.
Reuters
Mon Aug 14 2017
French deputy prosecutor Eric de Valroger (C) speaks to the media August 15, 2017 after a man deliberately drove a car into a crowd of diners Monday evening at a pizzeria in Sept-Sorts, east of Paris, France. REUTERS
AWANI Ringkas: Malaysia kecewa AS veto, halang PBB iktiraf Palestin
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari di Astro AWANI menerusi AWANI Ringkas.
AWANI Ringkas: Perang Iran-Israel
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari di Astro AWANI menerusi AWANI Ringkas.
Kes tangkapan lelaki Israel: 10 ditahan semula di bawah Sosma
Tiga terdiri suspek utama iaitu Avitan dan pasangan suami isteri telah dituduh di mahkamah pada minggu lalu, manakala lima lagi dibebaskan.
Wanita cedera diragut ketika tunggang motosikal ke tempat kerja
Mangsa dilapor alami kerugian kira-kira RM3,000 selepas kehilangan beg yang berisi telefon bimbit jenis iPhone 14, dokumen peribadi dan wang tunai RM114.
"OIC dah tak bermakna, tak berguna dalam meredakan ketegangan"
Pandangan dikongsi Prof Dr Salawati Mat Basir, Pakar undang-undang antarabangsa, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM).
Perkembangan konflik Iran-Israel
Bagi perinciannya kita bersama Prof. Dr. Mohd Roslan Mohd Nor, Ketua Jabatan Sejarah dan Tamdun Islam, Universiti Malaya, UM.
Program Madani Rakyat Zon Utara di Tapak Pesta Sungai Nibong 3-5 Mei
Program MADANI Rakyat 2024 Zon Utara akan diadakan di Tapak Pesta Sungai Nibong, Pulau Pinang selama tiga hari bermula 3 Mei ini.
Malaysia kecewa AS veto, halang PBB iktiraf negara Palestin
Pelaksanaan veto ke atas perkara penting dan signifikan itu telah menimbulkan persoalan terhadap keinginan sebenar Ahli UNSC.
[TERKINI] Israel Serang Iran, Isfahan dibedil 3 letupan
Perkembangan konflik Iran-Israel
Bagi perinciannya kita bersama Ahli Kumpulan bagi Pertubuhan Perundingan Undang-undang Asia Afrika (AALCO), Profesor Datuk Dr Rahmat Mohamad.
COVID-19: Over 100 individuals in Penang undergo test
Most of them were tested negative for the disease while others are still waiting for the results, Penang Chief Minister said.