A DRIVER has “deliberately” mowed down terrified pedestrians after mounting a pavement near a high school in the south of France - leaving at least three injured.

The horror smash happened in the town of Blagnac near Toulouse leaving a 23-year-old woman severely injured, and two men, aged 22 and 23, also hurt.

Police have confirmed the incident was a “deliberate attack” while local media reports the driver, 28, has “severe psychological problems” and was not on any extremist watchlists.

The suspect, who was known to local police for committing minor offences, was arrested at the scene, the sources said.

The driver is believed to be “schizophrenic” and recently stayed in a psychiatric facility, reports BFM TV.

All of the victims were Chinese students studying computing at the IGS technical college in the city.

“The car mounted the pavement soon after 4pm (2am AEDT) and caused immense panic as it targeted students leaving the college,” said a local police source.

“The man responsible was known to police but had no history of terrorism. He has severe psychological problems, and had been placed under supervision in the past.”

France has been victim of a series of vehicle attacks by extremists inspired by the Islamic State group, but there was no immediate confirmation of the driver’s identity or motive.

In July last year, a Tunisian man ploughed a 19-tonne truck into a crowd in the southern city of Nice, killing 86 people.

This article was first published in The Sun.