Cyclist killed in Paris: the motorist charged with murder gives his version of events

The driver who hit and killed a cyclist in Paris was charged with “murder” on Friday, October 18. While in police custody, he assured investigators that he had been “terrified” by the 27-year-old man on a bike and had tried to “escape.”

How could a motorist run over a cyclist, causing the death of this 27-year-old man? The question was put to the man suspected of deliberately running over a cyclist in Paris on Tuesday, October 15. Placed in police custody, the SUV driver was questioned several times in the premises of the first judicial police district. According to him, it was an “accident”. But the 52-year-old father was still charged with “murder” this Friday, October 18, and the Paris prosecutor's office specified that provisional detention was requested and requested before the judge of liberties and detention.

The tragedy occurred late in the day on Tuesday, October 15, on Boulevard Malesherbes, in the 8th arrondissement of Paris. The man says he was late while accompanying his 17-year-old daughter to an ophthalmology appointment. Being the type of person who tends to arrive early, this delay, accentuated by the usual traffic jams at the end of the day in the Paris city center, apparently pushed the driver to chaining together infractions: running a red light, using a bus lane and cycle paths… Then comes this intersection between Boulevard Malesherbes and Rue Boissy d'Anglas, at the Madeleine church. According to the SUV driver, reported by Le Parisien, he “kindly” asked Paul Varry, the cyclist, to “move over” so he could use the cycle path. The latter allegedly refused, accusing the driver of running over his foot. He then allegedly “hit” like a madman” on the hood of the car.

For the public prosecutor, it was more a matter of “alerting the driver”, who then allegedly “backed up, freeing the foot” of Paul Varry, who allegedly let go of his bike, then positioned himself at the front left of the car, “showing his displeasure”.

The driver then allegedly turned his wheels towards the cyclist, then moved forward. “The autopsy confirmed the marks of the vehicle crossing the body,” the prosecution said. The video surveillance shows an elevation of the front, then the rear on the left side of the vehicle, “explains the prosecution. After the tragedy, the driver got out of the car and realized the situation when he saw the cyclist's bloody face. He asked his daughter to contact the fire department, but it was too late. Paul Varry died of his injuries despite the intervention of the emergency services.

“I am not a murderer”

In police custody, the father suspected of murder spoke to investigators, describing himself as a “pacifist”, even “too nice”. He said he was “terrified” by the cyclist's “hatred” and assured that he had tried to “escape”. “I'm not a murderer”, he assured investigators. For his part, his lawyer explained to BFMTV that “he would never have intentionally run over someone”. A version that does not match that of the witnesses, who describe a violent scene as well as the intentional nature of the driver.

“These acts must be severely condemned”, believes Anne Hidalgo

The scene took place at an intersection between Boulevard Malesherbes and Rue Boissy d'Anglas. The intersection is considered dangerous by local residents. Indeed, vehicles must respect a give-way sign and ensure that there are no cyclists before entering. “The first witnesses having noticed a deliberate attitude of the driver when the car moved towards the cyclist, a murder investigation was indeed launched “open”, the Paris prosecutor's office confirmed to France Bleu Paris. The mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, reacted by calling for extreme severity against the perpetrator: “It is unacceptable to die today in Paris, at the age of 27, while riding a bike. These acts must be severely condemned”, declared the mayor. “SUVs have no place in the city. They are nonsense for both safety and the environment,” says Jacques Baudrier, deputy mayor of Paris in charge of Housing and the Ecological Transition of Buildings.

The police are now making their findings. “The duty magistrate is on site.” and “the modalities of the investigation are currently being evaluated and will be specified later”, specifies the Paris prosecutor's office to Actu 17.

A gathering on Wednesday at Place de la Madeleine

The day after his death, a gathering in tribute to Paul Varry was organized on Place de la Madeleine, near the scene of the tragedy. Several hundred people gathered on Wednesday, October 16. Candles and flowers were laid for the man who had made the city's bicycle space a real fight. He “fought for a peaceful city, so that people could cycle safely,” said Anne Monarché, president of the Paris en selle collective, present at the tribute. Among the cyclists present at the tribute, the discourse is similar: it is dangerous to cycle in Paris at all. because of dangerous driving by motorists, and this tragedy is an example of this.

A rally will also be organized by the city of Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine, where Paul Varry is from. In 2023, 226 cyclists died on the roads of France. This is the third consecutive year that the threshold of 200 deaths has been crossed.

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Following his police custody, the motorist suspected of killing a cyclist in Paris was indicted for “murder” this Friday, October 18. The investigating judge, before whom the man was referred, followed the prosecution's requests and referred the matter to a judge of liberties and detention to request the transfer of the accused to provisional detention, the Paris prosecutor's office said.