A 53-year-old man was arrested on Monday night after a car ploughed into a crowd of people during Liverpool‘s Premier League football trophy parade.
Merseyside Police said the suspect was white, British and from the Liverpool area.
Twenty-seven people were taken to hospital, two sustained serious injuries, 20 people were treated at the scene and four of the injured were children.
Assistant chief constable Jenny Simms said the incident was not being treated as terrorism. At a press conference on Monday evening Ms Simms confirmed the 53-year-old man arrested at the scene was believed to be the driver of the car.
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British prime minister Keir Starmer described “appalling” scenes as witnesses described a people carrier ploughing into crowds of people who had been celebrating in the city centre.
Footage of the incident circulating online on Monday appeared to show the vehicle speed up as it veered into pedestrians on both sides of the street. Officers surrounded the car soon afterward, as witnesses attempted to stop the driver, who was eventually detained by police.
Tánaiste Simon Harris said the country’s “thoughts are with the people of Liverpool this evening”.
“This was supposed to be a night of celebration for this city and Liverpool fans. Instead we are witnessing some devastating scenes unfold,” Mr Harris said.
Emergency services were quickly at the scene and several casualties were seen being taken away by ambulances. A large police cordon was put in place on Water Street and emergency vehicles could be seen lining the road.
A conscious man on a stretcher was seen being put into an ambulance and the paramedic told police he believed the Liverpool Royal Hospital may be overwhelmed.
Harry Rashid (48), from Solihull, was at the parade with his wife and two young daughters when he witnessed the collision. “This grey people carrier just pulled up from the right and just rammed into all the people at the side of us.
He added: “It was extremely fast. Initially, we just heard the pop, pop, pop of people just being knocked off the bonnet of a car.
Another witness, who was walking with a group of friends, said he saw a car “speeding up” and hitting pedestrians.
The man, who gave his name as Mike Maddra, said the “car turned left, mounted pavement, come towards us and runs towards the buildings”.
He said “we got out the way and it was speeding up”.
Mr Maddra said he thought he saw two people being hit and added, “it looked deliberate” and “it has just ruined the day really”.
In a statement, Mr Starmer said: “The scenes in Liverpool are appalling — my thoughts are with all those injured or affected.”
Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher wrote on X: “Devastating end to the day… just pray everyone is ok”, while ex-Reds striker Robbie Fowler posted: “Heartbreaking news… absolutely sickened with what’s happened here in Liverpool.”
Footage showed police cordons in place around the heavily littered road, with a large police presence, ambulances and a fire engine at the scene.
Liverpool FC sealed the title last month with four games to spare and ended the season with a 10-point lead over second-placed Arsenal. They lifted the trophy after their 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace at Anfield on Sunday.
During the celebrations earlier on Monday, the players and staff waved to the crowd from an open-top bus with the words “Ours. Again” emblazoned on the side, as red flares were lit along the route, running from Allerton Maze to Blundell Street.
Liverpool city councillor John Hughes estimated in excess of one million people were attending, beating the 750,000 at the 2019 Champions League parade.
Hundreds ignored police advice not to climb on structures – or adhere to the “no pyro” request – as every vantage point, ranging from multistorey car parks, scaffolding, rooftops, on top of petrol stations, traffic lights and lamp-posts, was taken.
Mr Rashid was at the parade with his wife and two young daughters when he witnessed the collision.
He said: “It happened about 10ft away from us. We were just in a crowd and we had no control over where we would be, because it was a very narrow street. The vehicle came to our right. It emerged from just right next to an ambulance, which was parked up. This grey people carrier just pulled up from the right and just rammed into all the people at the side of us.
“It was travelling south, down Water Street, straight towards this strand, which is where the docks are. It was extremely fast. Initially, we just heard the pop, pop, pop of people just being knocked off the bonnet of a car.
Mr Rashid described how crowds began trying to smash the car windows: “Then he stalled for a few seconds, probably about 10 seconds. Then the crowd that was a bit further back started rushing at him trying to smash his windows.
“But then he put his foot down again and just ploughed through the rest of them, he just kept going. It was horrible. And you could hear the bumps as he was going over the people. Then my daughter started screaming and there were people on the ground.
“It looked clearly deliberate. They were just innocent people, just fans going to enjoy the parade. There were hundreds and thousands of us there because this is probably the busiest part of Liverpool.
“We were shocked, couldn’t believe it.”
Emergency services arrived at the scene “within seconds”, he said.
Mr Rashid said: “Ambulances were already there. There was one right next to where this occurred, so there was a paramedic inside there.
“But then they started arriving within seconds, they’re all trying to get to the crowd and negotiate the crowd, which is very difficult to do, you see, because there’s that many people, they constantly been trying to move.
“I just wanted my kids to get off the road regardless because I couldn’t trust whether there’s a follow up attack or something like that. Because you are just exposed there on the pavement.
“I saw people lying on the ground, people unconscious. It was horrendous. So horrendous.” − PA
