“He is in a state that we cannot describe”: the mother and brother of Paul Varry, the cyclist killed in Paris testify

In court which decided on his placement in pre-trial detention and his indictment for murder, the motorist swore that he had not wanted to kill Paul, this young 27-year-old cyclist. But the young man died in “a bloodbath”, according to the testimony of a firefighter on site, this Tuesday, October 15, in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, boulevard Malesherbes. He was crushed to death under the wheels of an SUV, which the driver was driving on a cycle path to go faster.

“Tuesday evening, my life changed », Declared his mother, Nathalie Tison, at the microphone of M6. “What’s the worst thing for a mom or dad to lose their child? How are we going to live with this? » She and Paul Varry’s brother learned of his death by telephone. “It’s his friend who calls me and tells me to sit down. I immediately understood that Paul had left “, said his brother. According to the two relatives, the state of Paul’s body is in an indescribable state. “ In the morgue, we saw Paul, he is in a state… There are no words, it’s clearly barbarism”described his brother.

“Front wheel and back wheel and it’s still ten meters”

« This person deliberately rushed towards him. Paul was in front of the car. The car was stopped. Paul was in front, the person accelerated, and passed over him twice. Front wheel and rear wheel. He went another ten meters. We can’t say it’s an accident, it’s not possible », specifies his brother whose testimony is confirmed by the investigation.

At this stage, seven testimonies also undermine the driver’s version of this tragedy. According to these testimonies and the use of video surveillance, “the driver of the vehicle was going up the cycle path for 200 meters and would have run over the foot of the cyclist who was on his left », had reported the prosecution at the end of the motorist’s custody.

“You can see clearly on his body”

Paul Varry « had knocked on the hood to alert the driver, who initially backed away, freeing his foot », Continues the public prosecutor. “ The cyclist had dropped his bike and positioned himself at the front left of the car, showing his displeasure. The driver then turned his wheels towards the pedestrian and resumed driving forward in his direction. “, he added. “The autopsy confirmed the marks of the body being crossed by the vehicle” and “the video surveillance shows an elevation of the front, then the rear of the left side of the vehicle », Specified the prosecution.

« We can clearly see from the marks on his body that there was incredible violence, barbarity », Adds Paul Varry’s mother. “And from the front!” », insists his brother. “How at a given moment a man who has all his conscience, who is on the cycle path, who is not under the influence of alcohol or anything, sees a young man in front of him, and how he decides to move forward, accelerate and run over him? », asks the mother.

The fatal accident sparked strong reactions among elected officials in the capital, where “soft mobility”, in particular bicycles, has taken an increasingly prominent place in recent years. On Friday, the Paris town hall said it wanted “a place in Paris to bear the name” of the young cyclist. A minute of silence will also be observed in his tribute at the opening of the next Paris Council, on November 19. Cyclist demonstrations are planned for Saturday in France.

Meanwhile, Paul’s family gets organized. His mother, who came from Gap, where she lives, told RTL that she will not leave without her son’s body. “The burial will take place in his village of birth, in his cradle, where he was born” and then they will continue the fight that the young man had started, namely promoting gentle mobility. Originally from Saint-Ouen (Seine-Saint-Denis), Paul was an active member of the Paris en saddle association. “ Paul Varry, Audonian, had made the development of cycling a lifelong commitment, notably writing the white paper for pedestrians and cyclists in Saint-Ouen which largely inspired public action in the deployment of soft mobility on a large scale. of the city », Detailed the municipality, in a post published on the X network.