World Cup celebrations turn deadly when 14-year-old is run over in France, police say
Following France’s World Cup win against Morocco in the semifinal soccer game, celebrations in France turned fatal for a boy, officials said.
The boy was violently hit by a car in Montpellier on the evening of Wednesday, Dec. 14, according to a Thursday, Dec. 15, news release from the Hérault Prefect of Police.
The boy was rushed to a hospital where he died, officials said.
The boy was 14 years old, according to a tweet from Nathalie Oziol, a member of parliament for Montpellier. He was later identified by his first name, Aymen, the Montpellier Government said in a Thursday, Dec. 15, news release.
The vehicle involved was found near the scene, and the driver was arrested, police said.
French news outlets reported that the boy’s death occurred after a group of teenagers tried to take down a French flag flying from a car, Le Parisien reported, citing a video shared on social media. In response, the driver accelerated and hit multiple pedestrians, La Dépêche and France Bleu reported. French officials have not confirmed these reports.
The World Cup semifinal sparked celebrations across France and Belgium as well as clashes between France and Morocco fans, The Independent reported. France won the game 2-0.
Montpellier is about 420 miles south of Paris.
Google Translate was used to translate news releases from the Hérault Prefect of Police and Montpellier Government and articles from Le Parisian, La Dépêche, and France Bleu.
This story was originally published December 15, 2022 at 12:50 PM with the headline "World Cup celebrations turn deadly when 14-year-old is run over in France, police say."
