Tragic Turn: Mother Killed by Driver After Algeria’s Africa Cup Win in Montpellier

A victory that turns to drama! According to several French media, the driver in question is a 21-year-old man who was celebrating his team’s victory in the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) football. The tragedy took place on Thursday evening, July 11, 2019, around 10:30 p.m., shortly after the end of the match when euphoria had gripped the ranks of many "Fennecs" supporters of Algeria.

The young man lost control of his vehicle before mowing down the mother, a 17-year-old teenager and a 1-year-old child, reports "20 Minutes". On the spot, the mother, a woman in her forties, was killed, while the teenager suffered leg injuries. As for the 1-year-old baby, he was seriously injured and suffered head fractures. However, according to Le Parisien, the news given by the child’s uncle is reassuring.

The 21-year-old suspect was taken into custody on Thursday evening. The next morning, Friday, July 12, he was still being questioned by the police for "involuntary manslaughter and unintentional injuries" as well as for "deliberate breach of duty of care", the same source notes, pointing out that he has no criminal record and tested negative for the initial alcohol and drug tests.

According to his brother-in-law, the man would not be a supporter or even Algerian, but a Frenchman "of Moroccan origin"; he would work at the hospital, in fire safety. His mother, in tears on the phone, claims that her son had "gone out to get something to eat", the media adds.