The motorist suspected of running down a cyclist with his SUV in Paris, following an altercation on Tuesday October 15, was charged with murder on Friday October 18.

According to information obtained by H24 MEDIA from a judicial source, confirming AFP, the 52-year-old man is accused of deliberately hitting a 27-year-old cyclist on Boulevard Malesherbes, in the 8th arrondissement of Paris. The Paris public prosecutor’s office said that the examining magistrate, following the prosecutor’s request, had asked a liberty and custody judge to remand him in custody.

A fatal gesture after an altercation

The facts of the case date back to Tuesday October 15, at around 5.45pm. According to the investigators’ initial conclusions, corroborated by video surveillance images, the driver took the cycle path for a distance of 200 metres, and ran over the foot of the cyclist to his left. The cyclist then struck the hood of the SUV to attract the attention of the driver, who initially backed off, freeing his foot.

However, the altercation continued. The cyclist dropped his bike and stood in front of the vehicle to express his displeasure. According to the information provided by the public prosecutor’s office, the driver then turned his wheels towards the young man before reversing, fatally striking him. A subsequent autopsy confirmed that the cyclist’s body had indeed been crushed by the vehicle.

An emotional tragedy in Paris

The victim, named Paul, was a young man of 27, described as a very active member of the Paris en Selle association. The tragedy sent shockwaves through Paris, where the use of soft mobility, particularly bicycles, has risen sharply in recent years. Many of Paris’s elected representatives reacted to the tragedy, pointing the finger at rising tensions on the road.

On Wednesday evening, around 200 people gathered at Place de la Madeleine to pay tribute to Paul, at the initiative of the Paris en Selle association.

This case has rekindled the debate on the cohabitation of motorists and cyclists in the capital, at a time when the city is increasingly encouraging the use of bicycles as the main means of transport.