At least two people died and nine others were injured, six of them in life-threatening condition, after a car drove into a crowd in the northwestern French city of Caen on Wednesday.

"At this point we are not assuming a terrorist motive, but the investigation has only just begun," deputy prosecutor Philippe Leonardo told journalists in the early hours of Thursday.

Investigators work to establish motive

A 26-year-old man described as being of Russian descent was in custody after he allegedly drove into a group of people late Wednesday night near the city's main railway station.

French police said one person was killed at the scene and another later died from injuries sustained in the incident. 

The driver fled but was arrested 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the scene, a source told the French AFP news agency.

Local media said the incident followed an argument at a nearby bus stop. 

After the attack, local authorities said the suspect was not known to intelligence services but had previous contact with police over traffic offenses.

Edited by: Kieran Burke

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