Suspected smugglers injured in high-speed crash in France

PARIS – A French official says four people were injured trying to flee from Belgian police who had opened fire near the port of Dunkirk.

Dunkirk public prosecutor Eric Fouard says police suspected the four occupants were involved in smuggling migrants, and began shooting after their car tried to push police off the road.

The chase ended when the fleeing car crashed into a minor pile-up further down the highway.

The four occupants were taken to a hospital. Dunkirk deputy prefect Eric Etienne says two of them suffered gunshot wounds.

According to Belgian media quoting the Western Flanders Prosecutor’s office, the chase started on Belgian soil after the suspects escaped an ID check.

Amid the highway chaos, Fouard said a motorcyclist died when he slammed into a truck which had stopped.