At least five are injured, two of them seriously, including an assistant to MP Pascal Markowsky of the hard-right National Rally party. Initial reports suggested ten had been hurt in the attack but this was later revised down.
French terror police and President Emmanuel Macron, who is on his way to Brazil, are monitoring the situation.
The horrific attack unfolded between the villages of Dolus-d’Oléron and Saint-Pierre-d’Oléron. The idyllic island is a top holiday destination for French and international tourists.
Witnesses described horrific scenes with one woman seen lying motionless on the ground.
According to officials, the driver deliberately steered his vehicle toward pedestrians and a cyclist. A source said he hit victims across several miles as he drove along. The injured are said to be between the ages of 21 and 69 and are from the area.
Thibault Brechkoff, the mayor of Dolus-d’Oleron, told BFMTV that the man shouted ‘Allahu Akbar’, meaning God is the Greatest in Arabic, during his arrest. He also said the man tried to hit ‘everyone he could encounter’