Paris driver stabbed cyclist in throat, prosecutors say

A driver stabbed a cyclist in the throat in Paris after a traffic dispute, French prosecutors said Wednesday.

The stabbing took place Tuesday, according to the prosecutor's office and police. The prosecutor's office said the two men exchanged insults, the cyclist punched the driver through the window, and the driver then cut at the cyclist's throat with a knife.

Police arrested the driver after he fled the scene and opened an attempted murder investigation, prosecutors said.

The cyclist was taken to hospital and later discharged with superficial injuries, prosecutors said.

Paris Mayor Emmanuel Gregoire condemned violence against cyclists, writing on X that it happens “far too often” and that the fight against “motorised violence” would be pursued.

Cycling pressure group Paris en Selle expressed support for the cyclist. In 2024, group member Paul Varry was killed when a driver ran him over after an altercation, and nearly 1,000 demonstrators gathered across France to call for measures to reduce violence against cyclists and tensions on Paris streets.