A “terrible tragedy”: a 22-year-old police officer killed in an accident during an intervention on the Nantes ring road at night

A young deputy police officer lost his life during the night from Friday to Saturday while he was on intervention on the Nantes ring road. He was pursuing individuals who had fled on foot.

A deputy police officer from the Saint-Herblain police station, near Nantes, lost his life last night on the Nantes inner ring road near Porte de Rennes.

He then pursued "individuals who fled on foot during an intervention", as indicated this Saturday morning on X Laurent Nuñez, the Minister of the Interior, who deplores a "terrible tragedy".

I want to express my immense emotion and my deep sadness.

Laurent Nuñez

Minister of the Interior

The prefect of Loire-Atlantique, Laurent Hottiaux also sends his “most sincere condolences to the family and loved ones of the deceased police officer”

A “third party vehicle” hit him

The police officer was hit by a “third party vehicle” which was traveling at the time on the Nantes ring road.

During the tragedy, the police officer was "with his colleagues, alongside the Interdepartmental Direction of Western Roads (DIRO) to take charge of a vehicle that broke down on the outer ring road", said Antoine Leroy, the Nantes prosecutor, this Saturday morning.

This vehicle was "parked on the emergency lane", also indicates the prosecutor, "These occupants fled, one of them, after damaging a rear-view mirror of the DIRO vehicle, crossing the ring road pursued by the young police officer who was to be fatally struck by a third party vehicle".

Emergency services were called to the scene around 1:10 a.m. When they arrived, the police officer was in cardiorespiratory arrest. “Despite attempts at cardiopulmonary resuscitation, the victim was declared dead by the SMUR doctor,” the firefighters said this Saturday morning.

“The driver of the third-party vehicle, shocked, was transported to the university hospital in a light condition,” also indicates SDIS 44.

According to our information, the driver had not consumed alcohol or drugs.

An investigation was opened by the Nantes public prosecutor's office.