A man who fled the scene of a car crash in Paris took the ultimate wrong turn, seeking refuge in the headquarters of France’s spy agency.

The driver, who reportedly did not have a driving licence, was involved in a crash on the capital’s Périphérique ring road on Friday, scaling a fence several metres high to get off the busy artery.

He was apparently unaware he had climbed into the grounds of the General Directorate of External Security (DGSE), according to the Parisien newspaper which first reported the story.

He was immediately picked up and arrested.

The site, on Boulevard Mortier in north-eastern Paris, is one of the most closely monitored spots in Paris – images of it on Google Street View are blurred. It featured in acclaimed French TV spy thriller Le Bureau des Légendes – starring actors Mathieu Kassovitz and Jean-Pierre Darroussin – which won international acclaim under the English title The Bureau.

The suspect’s fence-scaling skills would have served Florida suspect Jennifer Anne Kaufman well on Sunday. She was cornered against a fence by cows after she fled her car and ran across a field while being pursued by police. Directing units on the ground, an officer in a police helicopter said: “If you see the large group of cows there, they’re literally following her, chasing her.” Kaufman was later arrested.

Agence France-Presse contributed to this article