Liverpool football club’s Premier League victory parade descended into chaos on Monday evening after a car collided with pedestrians in the city centre, leaving nearly 50 people injured including children.
A 53-year-old white British man believed to be the driver of the vehicle was arrested at the scene of the collision on Water Street in the heart of the city, metres from the Royal Liver Building and the town hall, after roads had been reopened after the main parade.
Scenes of jubilation with thousands of Liverpool fans lining the streets to celebrate their club’s Premier League victory were rapidly replaced with scenes of fear and confusion as emergency services arrived at about 6pm.
At a late-night press conference, North West ambulance service confirmed 27 people were taken to hospital, with two of the injured, including one child, sustaining serious injuries. In addition, 20 patients were treated at the scene near Water Street. Four children were injured in total.
Assistant Chief Constable Jenny Sims, with Merseyside police, said the incident was not being treated as terrorism and they were not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident.
The prime minister said the scenes were “appalling”, while Liverpool FC offered its “thoughts and prayers” to those affected by the incident.
Footage showed police cordons in place around the heavily littered road, with a large police presence, ambulances and a fire engine also at the scene.
Footage from the scene captured a person being taken away on a stretcher and a man walking with his arm around a police officer for support.
It is understood that approximately 30 people were treated for injuries or shock in an Italian restaurant opposite Liverpool town hall, around the corner from the scene of the collision.
Les Winsper, 55, who witnessed the incident, said: “People started banging on the [car] windows. Then they smashed the windows and he’s panicked and put his foot down. He then hit someone and that person has gone in the air and he’s ploughed through the rest of them. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
He added the first victim was thrown “about 20 feet” in the air by the collision. Winsper’s friend, Craig Steward, 52, said there was “chaos” with “people crying, children crying, shaking”.
He added: “I personally think he’s hit someone by mistake and then he’s put his foot down. It was the worst thing I’ve seen in my life, you see it on TV. That’s why all the kids are crying, because they witnessed it. I’m traumatised.”
Both men said the incident lasted 20 to 30 seconds.
St John ambulance workers were among the first at Water Street to treat those injured, some of whom are believed to be in a critical condition. A reporter at the scene saw two “distressed” volunteer medics being comforted by colleagues as they made their way from the scene.
Outside the police cordon, Sonny Singh, 40, said he saw an injured teenager and dozens of people run past him “crying and angry” shortly after the collision.
“People were running, screaming … I saw a boy, probably about 15, holding his leg and bleeding. There were loads of people there,” he said, adding that he had heard the vehicle hit dozens of fans. Singh, from Leicester, had been celebrating with his two sons, aged nine and 13.
Matt Cole, a BBC reporter who attended the parade with his family, witnessed the incident. He told BBC News: “There were screams ahead of us and suddenly this dark blue car just came through the crowd. It just wasn’t stopping. I managed to grab my daughter who was with me and jump out of the way.
“It missed myself and my family by literally inches. We then turned and watched what happened momentarily behind us before running. It was being chased by a group of men who were trying to bang on the side of it and throw things at it. The back of the rear windshield had been completely smashed in, but it just had no intention of stopping.”
He added: “An entire squad of armed police cars stopped, and people jumped out with rifles and again big medical packs on and began running to the scene of the incident.”
Another witness said the vehicle reversed before “what seemed like an incredibly deliberate” acceleration into a crowd of people on Water Street.
Harry Rashid, 48, from Solihull, was at the parade with his wife and two young daughters when he witnessed the collision. “It happened about 10 feet away from us … 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 the 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.
Rashid described how crowds began trying to smash the car windows: “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.”
Rashid continued: “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. “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’ve 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.”
Natasha Rinaldi, who was watching the parade from her friend’s living room, said: “People were very angry and shocked, and then the police intervened. And then we heard the ambulances coming.”
North West ambulance service said the scene was cleared by about 9.30pm.
Starmer and the home secretary, Yvette Cooper, were being kept updated about events.
Starmer said: “The scenes in Liverpool are appalling – my thoughts are with all those injured or affected. I want to thank the police and emergency services for their swift and ongoing response to this shocking incident. I’m being kept updated on developments and ask that we give the police the space they need to investigate.”
In a statement posted on social media, Liverpool FC said: “We are in direct contact with Merseyside police regarding the incident on Water Street which happened towards the end of the trophy parade earlier this evening.
“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.”
Steve Rotheram, the mayor of the Liverpool city region, said: “Our hearts go out to all of those affected, especially those who have been injured. Thank you, as ever, to the first responders for their professionalism and swift action. This is a difficult day for our city region, but we stand together.”
A spokesperson for the North West ambulance service said: “NWAS is supporting an incident in Liverpool city centre, following reports of a road traffic collision. We are currently assessing the situation and working with other members of the emergency services. Our priority is to ensure people receive the medical help they need as quickly as possible.”
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