Ten French police officers hurt after high-speed chase ends in crash in Paris

Thirteen people, including ten police officers, got minor injuries in Paris on Saturday after a driver ignored police orders to stop. This set off a high-speed chase through the southern part of the city, leaving several cars damaged.

The chaotic pursuit covered several kilometers, ending when the driver lost control, crashing into a traffic light. Three police vehicles following closely behind also collided with his car, prosecutors said.

Police took the driver and two passengers into custody and sent them to a hospital. Their injuries were not life-threatening, authorities confirmed.

Security footage reviewed by AFP showed the car hitting a traffic light before getting rammed by a police vehicle. Seconds later, another police car slammed into the first one, followed by a third.

Everything started around 5:45 a.m. in the 14th arrondissement, where police tried to stop the car, but the driver refused to pull over, the police prefecture said.

Three police cars took off in pursuit.

Prosecutors said the driver had run a red light, setting off the chase that lasted several kilometers.

Authorities believe the driver may have been drunk at the time.

The chase came to a violent end at the corner of Avenue du Maine and Boulevard du Montparnasse, where the driver lost control and crashed.

All three pursuing police vehicles then crashed into the suspect’s car, prosecutors said.

Ten officers had minor injuries and were taken to the hospital for a short time.

Paris police chief Laurent Nunez told reporters that all injured officers had been discharged by early afternoon. He praised their quick response and bravery.

The three arrested individuals are between 19 and 30 years old. Two of them have criminal records, Nunez said, without giving more details.

The Unsa-Police union shared a picture of the wreckage, showing a police car sitting on top of a crushed black vehicle.

“A shocking scene that shows just how violent the crash was,” the union wrote on X, blaming the driver for putting police and the public at risk.

Nunez said poor visibility made the chase even more dangerous.

Last year, police in the Paris region recorded 2,300 cases of drivers refusing to stop. About 40% of these incidents happened at night, he added.