A driver has rammed his car into pedestrians and cyclists on the holiday island of Ile d'Oléron, off the west coast of France, leaving four people in a critical condition.
A local man in his mid-30s had deliberately driven into people and he was arrested after being immobilised with a stun gun, authorities said.
The man drove some distance between two villages on the island, mowing down several people including a young girl, the mayor of Dolus d'Oléron, Thibault Brechkoff, said.
He eventually abandoned his vehicle and tried to set fire to it before running away, Brechkoff commented.
The public prosecutor for La Rochelle, Arnaud Laraize, stated the suspect was known to police and that he shouted Allahu Akbar (God is greatest) at the moment of his arrest.
The 35-year-old man is being held by police in Saint-Pierre-d'Oléron on suspicion of attempted murder. However, France's anti-terror authorities have not been put in charge of the case.
A popular holiday destination, the Ile d'Oléron is metropolitan France's second largest island after Corsica and is connected to the mainland by a road bridge.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez stated that an inquiry had been opened into the incident and he was en route to the scene.
The incident occurred around 08:45 (07:45 GMT), with local reports indicating a gas canister was found in the back of the suspect's car after he attempted to set the vehicle on fire.
Witnesses reported a series of incidents in multiple locations on the island, including the villages of Dolus d'Oléron and Saint-Pierre-d'Oléron, which concluded outside a bakery.
