A young cyclist was run over by a motorist after an argument in Paris. A violent drama which should alert people to the safety of road users in the city.
When we take stock of road safety by analyzing cycling figures, it is extremely rare that the accidents we write about can be compared to murders. Alcohol, speed or drugs are unfortunately at the heart of most road dramas. But this Tuesday, October 15, 2024, in Paris, a cyclist was apparently deliberately run over by a motorist.
At rush hour returning from work, in a crowded area that is very difficult to access for cyclists who are generally not protected, a young 27-year-old cyclist was hit by a motorist in his fifties . Police and emergency services were called, but the young man died.
An argument at the origin of the drama
What changes compared to other tragedies is the context: according to passers-by, the victim and her attacker had an argument. The cyclist allegedly hit the hood of the car and the driver, exasperated, drove off again to run him over. The driver, who was transporting a little girl in his vehicle according to France Bleu, was arrested.
David Belliard, deputy mayor of the city of Paris for mobility, commented on the event on X: “ This young man is a new victim of this road violence. The car can drive you crazy. She kills. Cyclists and pedestrians are its first victims “, he says. In reality, it is motorists who are the main victims of the automobile, according to road safety figures, but the accident rate of cyclists and pedestrians is clearly problematic. In the graph below, for example, we can count 92 men killed on bicycles by private vehicles (cars, vans, trucks) and 136 women pedestrians in the same conditions in 2023.
While the city of Paris proudly hosts the 2024 Paris Motor Show, it would have done well without this sordid news story. It shows, on the other hand, the necessary adaptation of urban space to separate flows and protect the most vulnerable users.
