resident of france

Bordeaux — A 35-year-old man rammed his car into pedestrians and cyclists on the French Atlantic island of Oleron on Wednesday, injuring 10 people, four of them seriously, a prosecutor said.

The Oleron resident “deliberately hit several pedestrians and cyclists” along a main road on the picturesque island opposite the western city of La Rochelle, prosecutor Arnaud Laraize said.

When he was arrested, he shouted “God is greatest” in Arabic, the magistrate said.

Police arrested the man and are investigating him for alleged attempted murder, but the motive behind the apparent attack was not immediately clear, Laraize added.

A source following the case previously said the man had “deliberately beaten” the victims over several kilometres.

Several French media outlets said the suspect was well known to local police for previous crimes including robbery, drug and alcohol abuse, and driving under the influence.

The prosecutor said that the attack occurred on a road that connects the towns of Dolus d’Oleron and Saint-Pierre d’Oleron.

The mayor of Dolus d’Oleron confirmed that the suspect was a resident.