Dozens of people were injured on Monday evening when a car drove into crowds of Liverpool Football Club supporters during the club’s Premier League trophy parade in the city centre.
Police have arrested a 53-year-old man from the Liverpool area and confirmed that terrorism is not being considered as a motive.
Merseyside Police said the incident occurred shortly after 6 p.m. local time, when reports came in of a vehicle colliding with pedestrians along the parade route. The man arrested is believed to be the driver of the car, according to Assistant Chief Constable Jenny Sims, who urged the public not to speculate on the circumstances.
Emergency services responded swiftly, with 27 people taken to hospital, including four children. David Kitchin, head of service at North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust, stated that two of those hospitalised—a child and an adult—suffered serious injuries. Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service Chief Fire Officer Nick Searle reported that four people were trapped beneath the vehicle and had to be extracted by firefighters. An additional 20 individuals were treated at the scene for minor injuries.
The incident shocked the city, which was celebrating Liverpool FC’s 20th top-flight league title with an open-top bus parade that drew hundreds of thousands of jubilant fans. Witnesses described chaotic scenes as the grey people carrier suddenly accelerated into the crowd.
Harry Rashid, who attended the parade with his wife and two young daughters, told PA Media that the vehicle “just rammed into all the people at the side of us… It was extremely fast.” He recounted hearing “the pop, pop, pop of people being knocked off the bonnet” and described scenes of panic as attendees rushed to help those injured and smashed the car’s windows.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the “appalling” scenes in Liverpool and extended his thoughts to the injured and affected, praising the emergency services for their prompt response.
Footage from the scene showed emergency personnel treating the wounded and transporting some on stretchers to ambulances. Police have cordoned off the area, and a tent has been set up at the crash site as investigations continue.
Liverpool Football Club issued a statement expressing condolences to those affected and pledged full support to local authorities and emergency responders. Rival club Everton and the Premier League also conveyed their sympathies via social media.
The North West Ambulance Service later confirmed the city centre scene had been cleared. Meanwhile, NHS University Hospitals of Liverpool Group appealed to the public to avoid calling hospital switchboards, assuring that next of kin would be contacted directly.
