Suspect, with no criminal record, taken to psychiatric ward after police custody lifted

A decisive turning point. The investigation into the incident in which a car crashed into a terrace in the 20th arrondissement of Paris has been reclassified as murder and attempted murder, the Paris public prosecutor’s office announced on Thursday July 18. Initially opened for manslaughter and manslaughter by driver, the investigation has taken a new direction.

The 24-year-old driver caused the death of one person and injured six others. According to the public prosecutor, his statements suggest that “the act may have been intentional.” The suspect, who had no previous criminal record, was released from police custody and taken to a psychiatric unit. The investigation was handed over to the criminal brigade.

“This reclassification of the facts was carried out because of the statements made by the respondent while in police custody, suggesting that the act may have been intentional,” explained the public prosecutor. “Investigations into the possible presence of a passenger and the toxicology of the suspect are continuing,” added the Paris public prosecutor’s office.