A driver who allegedly ploughed into a crowd at Liverpool’s victory parade has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, dangerous driving and drug driving.
Merseyside Police assistant chief constable Jenny Sims said the force believe the car which struck pedestrians was able to follow an ambulance crew attending to someone suffering a heart attack after a road block was temporarily lifted.
Detective chief superintendent Karen Jaundrill said there were a total of 65 confirmed casualties following the incident on Water Street in the city centre on Monday.
More than 50 people, including children, were treated in different hospitals and 11 people remained there on Tuesday in a stable condition.
How the incident unfolded
More than 500,000 people had lined the streets to watch Liverpool players and staff on an open-top bus with the Premier League trophy travel a 16km route over 3½ hours. The victory parade began at Allerton Maze, south of the city, and ended with a finale on the Strand.
Just after 6pm on Water Street, about 1.5km from the end of the parade and after the team had recently passed, a vehicle collided with members of the crowd, according to witnesses.
Footage of the incident circulating online appears to show the vehicle speed up as it veers into pedestrians on both sides of the street, with people knocked to the floor off the windshield, falling to the ground and darting out of the way to avoid harm.
What witnesses have said
Matthew O’Carroll (28), from Runcorn, said he saw the car approaching the top of Water Street. It went past a parked police van at a “decent” speed, he said, and the driver was beeping as he went through the crowd.
Mike Maddra said the car “turned left, mounted [the] pavement, come towards us and runs towards the buildings”. He said: “We got out the way and it was speeding up.”
The incident lasted 20-30 seconds, and the first victim was thrown “about 20 feet” in the air, witnesses said.
Harry Rashid (48), from Solihull, said he could “hear the bumps” as the car hit spectators. He described how crowds began trying to smash the car’s windows, causing the driver to stall for about 10 seconds, before the vehicle accelerated, hitting more people.
Dan Ogunshakin, an off-duty BBC reporter attending the parade, said he saw people hitting the car before it reversed and then “it suddenly accelerated forwards”, straight towards the surrounding crowd.
The emergency service response
Social media video showed angry fans converging on the vehicle as it came to a stop, smashing windows before police intervened. Matt Cole, a BBC reporter, described how police officers exited a “squad” of armed police vehicles carrying rifles and medical packs and began running to the scene.
Daniel Jones (28) told the Sun newspaper that police restrained people who were “smashing” the car. “They were ripping the register plate off,” he said. “The back window was broken when the [driver] was still in it.”
Police said the car stopped at the scene and a suspect was detained.
What we know of those injured
Twenty-seven people were taken to hospital and a further 20 were treated at the scene, emergency services said. Others self-presented at hospitals on Merseyside.
Three adults and one child were removed by firefighters from beneath the vehicle and passed to the ambulance, Nick Searle, Merseyside’s chief fire officer, told a news conference.
The Liverpool city mayor, Steve Rotheram, said on Tuesday that four people remained “very, very ill in hospital” after the incident.
The local Italian restaurant Riva was used as a makeshift triage centre, according to Paddy Edrich, a Liverpool Echo reporter. “People inside Riva are being treated by paramedics. Some have bandages around their heads and limbs,” he said in a post on X. “Staff in the restaurant appear to be providing fluids to those being treated and the emergency services.”
The wider reaction
Liverpool Football Club said in a statement that it was in “direct contact with Merseyside police regarding the incident on Water Street which happened towards the end of the trophy parade”. A post on X read: “Our thoughts and prayers are with those who have been affected by this serious incident. We will continue to offer our full support to the emergency services and local authorities who are dealing with this incident.”
Well-wishes flowed from other Premier League clubs including Everton, Manchester United and Manchester City.
British prime minister Keir Starmer said: “The scenes in Liverpool are appalling – my thoughts are with all those injured or affected.” He later added: “Tonight I have spoken to Steve Rotheram about the terrible events in Liverpool and the remarkable bravery shown by the police and other emergency services. They are supporting and caring for those injured in these terrible events.”
Ian Byrne, the MP for Liverpool West Derby, wrote on X: “Absolutely heartbroken by the scenes in town, after what should have been the best of days. My love and thoughts are with all affected.” − Guardian
