IGPN investigates Rennes collision involving 22-year-old scooter rider and CRS van
France’s police watchdog has taken over an investigation into a serious collision in Rennes involving a 22-year-old man riding an electric scooter and a CRS police van.
The young man was seriously injured after the collision on Friday afternoon, and his condition remained life-threatening as of Tuesday, according to the Rennes public prosecutor’s office.
Following initial inquiries carried out urgently by local police, the General Inspectorate of the National Police (IGPN) was asked to continue the investigation. Prosecutors said the case concerns alleged “unintentional injuries in connection with the driving of a vehicle.”
Investigation transferred to the police watchdog
The decision to involve the IGPN comes as investigators seek to establish the precise circumstances surrounding the collision.
Jean-Marie Blin, deputy public prosecutor in Rennes, said the first investigative work had been conducted by officers from the Rennes police station before the case was referred to the police oversight body.
The investigation is expected to examine the movements of both the scooter rider and the CRS vehicle in the moments leading up to the crash.
Account of events under investigation
According to the initial findings communicated by prosecutors, the young man had allegedly been following a CRS van and verbally insulting its occupants.
The police vehicle reportedly stopped during the incident. One officer then got out of the van, while the vehicle subsequently drove away in order to turn around farther along the road.
Prosecutors said the scooter rider avoided the officer and continued on his way. During the sequence of events, he allegedly overtook a car at high speed.
According to the preliminary account, he then turned around to check whether he was being followed and apparently failed to notice that the CRS van had returned to the area at reduced speed.
A collision subsequently occurred.
No surveillance footage at the scene
Investigators face an additional challenge because there were reportedly no surveillance cameras at the location of the crash.
The absence of video footage means that investigators will have to reconstruct the sequence largely through witness accounts, physical evidence and other available elements.
The circumstances surrounding the movements of the police vehicle and the scooter rider will therefore be central to determining how the collision occurred.
Police conduct also under scrutiny
The involvement of the IGPN places the actions of the police officers within the scope of the investigation, while the circumstances surrounding the scooter rider’s behaviour are also being examined.
The referral does not, by itself, establish responsibility for the collision. Investigators must determine whether any driving behaviour contributed to the injuries and whether the legal requirements for an offence involving unintentional injuries have been met.
As of Tuesday, the victim’s condition remained critical, according to the Rennes prosecutor’s office. The investigation is continuing.
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