The calm of Seine-et-Marne was shattered this Thursday, on the road linking Nandy to Savigny-le-Temple, when a 40-year-old paramedic attempted suicide in spectacular fashion. Thanks to the rapid and heroic intervention of the police, a tragedy was narrowly avoided.
The events took place shortly after 1:30 p.m. The man, in the grip of deep despair, decides to steal a vehicle from the ambulance company for which he works, a Skoda Octavia, in Savigny-le-Temple. Armed with a gas bottle placed on the passenger seat, he fled with the clear intention of ending his life by causing an explosion. His colleagues, alerted by his behavior, reacted immediately and contacted the police, who broadcast the alert.
Shortly afterwards, a patrol from the accident brigade spotted the fleeing vehicle on the D50. The police try to stop him, but the ambulance driver ignores their orders and continues his frantic chase, damaging two forest barriers as he enters the Sénart woods.
After a dangerous U-turn and several unpredictable maneuvers, the man collided with another vehicle. The ensuing chaos mobilizes several police crews who pursue the fugitive.
The situation takes a critical turn when the ambulance driver, after stopping his vehicle, seems about to be arrested. But in a final gesture of desperation, he suddenly restarts and collides head-on with a police vehicle. His escape finally ends in a ditch, where he gets stuck.
The police officers, quickly on site, found themselves confronted with an extremely dangerous scene: the smell of gas escaping through the half-open window of the vehicle, while the forty-year-old tried to light a lighter. In the space of a few seconds, the agents reacted with exemplary composure. They broke the vehicle’s windows and managed to extract the man, despite his fierce resistance.
During this intervention, two police officers were injured: one had his right hand cut by shards of glass, and the other had a cut on his forehead. However, their courage made it possible to avoid an explosion with potentially dramatic consequences.
The paramedic, making incoherent comments characteristic of a deep depressive state, was immediately placed in police custody at the hospital, then subjected to a psychiatric evaluation. The diagnosis is final: its discernment is abolished. As a result, his police custody is lifted, and he is automatically hospitalized. The case will not be prosecuted.
Thanks to the rapid and decisive action of the police, a tragedy was averted, once again highlighting the importance of law enforcement intervention in crisis situations.
