Paris car crash: One dead and several injured after vehicle smashes into restaurant with driver later arrested

The incident took place at 7.30pm local time (5.30pm GMT) on Wednesday (17 July) at the Le Ramus restaurant on the corner of Avenue du Père-Lachaise and Rue Ramus. District Mayor Eric Pliez said all those injured were customers of the cafe.

The driver initially fled the scene, in the French capital's 20th arrondissement, but was later arrested, officers added. A possible motive was not immediately clear, but a police source told AFP news agency that it may have been a traffic accident.

Police cordoned off the area close to where the car crashed. Firefighters and military personnel blocked access to several streets around Le Ramus. A passenger from the car was reported to have tested positive for alcohol consumption. There was no mention of the driver's condition in local reports.

Police and emergency services remained at the scene on Wednesday evening. According to The Sun, a staff member who watched on from another restaurant claimed the car "went the wrong way down a one-way street" before "ploughing" into the terrace.

The crash site was then searched and a bomb squad called to do routine checks as part of "safety measures". It comes as France is on high security alert ahead of the Paris Olympics, which is set to begin on 26 July.