French cyclist dies after being run over by SUV driver, sparking furious protests

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Mr Paul Varry, 27, was known as an advocate for urban cycling.

Mr Paul Varry, 27, was known as an advocate for urban cycling.

PHOTO: FRANCOIS DUROVRAY/X

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- A 27-year-old cyclist was killed after he was run over by a sports utility vehicle (SUV) driver in France, leading to anti-road rage protests in a country where cycling is a popular mode of transportation.

Mr Paul Varry was allegedly deliberately ran over by 52-year-old Ariel M on Oct 15, according to French media outlets.

Ariel M was arrested at the scene of the incident in Boulevard Malesherbes, Paris, and spent 48 hours in custody before appearing in court on the morning of Oct 18, and has been charged with murder.

Mr Varry was heading home from work when the driver drove onto the cycling path and ran over Mr Varry’s foot, said the prosecutor’s office.

The cyclist banged on the car bonnet to alert the driver, who initially reversed to free Mr Varry’s foot.

But after Mr Varry moved to the left of the car and expressed his unhappiness, the driver turned the wheels in the cyclist’s direction and drove forward.

Autopsy results confirmed that Mr Varry had been run over.

In a post on social media platform X, French Transport Minister Francois Durovray described Mr Varry’s death as “a great loss”.

“I express my deepest sympathy and support to his family, loved ones, and to the cycling community to which he was so committed to,” said Mr Durovray, vowing to address safety concerns.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, who started a successful programme that promoted cycling over driving in the capital, said it was “unacceptable in this day and age for someone to die on a bicycle in Paris”, reported The Guardian.

An advocate for urban cycling, Mr Varry was known for his dedication to the cause for improving cycling infrastructure in the northern suburb of Paris, Saint-Ouen.

His death has sparked demonstrations across France, with many demanding safer roads for cyclists and an end to “motorised violence”. On Oct 19, hundreds – including cycling groups – gathered to honour him and promised to continue his work in improving road safety.

During a referendum in February,

Paris voted in favour of subjecting large SUVs to a threefold increase

in parking charges as the city pushed on with its plans to become fully bikeable, according to a Reuters report.

Under the charge of Mayor Hidalgo, 84km of cycling lanes have been created in the French capital since 2020, and there has been a 71 per cent increase in bicycle usage between the end of Covid-19 lockdowns and 2023.

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