Almost 1,000 people gathered in front of the Parish Church of La Madeleine in Paris on Wednesday evening to commemorate the cyclist Paul Varry, who was killed nearby the previous day. They laid flowers and lit candles in front of photos of the young man on his bike. The case caused horror throughout France. The 27-year-old man was cycling on the Boulevard Malesherbes cycle path around 5:30 p.m. in fine weather when he collided with a Mercedes SUV driver. The exact circumstances still need to be clarified. There was an argument that obviously escalated. According to eyewitnesses, the 52-year-old SUV driver is said to have deliberately hit the cyclist in his anger and rolled him over with his heavy vehicle. The SUV driver was arrested and is said to have a previous conviction for acts of violence and fraud. His 17-year-old daughter was sitting in the passenger seat of the car at the time of the crime. The public prosecutor’s office initiated proceedings against the man on suspicion of intentional homicide. The mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, expressed her horror and called for harsh punishments. This form of road violence is unacceptable, she said. In recent years, it has resolutely expanded the cycle path network and created around 200 kilometers of secured lanes. The two-way cycle path is barely two meters wide, but coexistence between drivers and cyclists has not improved. Accidents are common on the north-south route through the capital from Rue de Rivoli to Gare du Nord station. The two-way cycle path is often barely two meters wide. Although it is usually separated from the car lanes by a curb, this is interrupted at traffic lights and pedestrian crossings. Dangerous situations often arise here. “Paul has always fought against violence in traffic, now it has killed him,” said Pierre Danzas from the Paris en Selle association (roughly: Paris on the saddle). “Paul was one of our active members,” Danzas said. Similar scenes occurred daily, with drivers cutting off cyclists or otherwise endangering their safety. It must be clarified how the conflict could escalate to this extent.More on the topicSome eyewitnesses said that the Mercedes driver stopped on the cycle path and Paul pointed out to him that he was obstructing cycle traffic. Others reported that the young man fell for the first time after the Mercedes drove onto the bike path. Then there was an argument. “The driver literally ran over the young man,” said a shop owner. The alleged perpetrator’s alcohol tests and toxicology tests turned out to be negative.
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