Police say Liverpool parade incident not terrorism; two seriously injured as car collides with crowd - The Athletic

Two people have suffered serious injuries after a car collided with pedestrians at Liverpool’s Premier League trophy parade on Monday. Twenty-seven people were taken to hospital after the incident and a further 20 were treated at the scene for minor injuries. One of those who suffered serious injury is a child, with four other children among those hurt. Advertisement Merseyside Police say a 53-year-old white British man from the Liverpool area was arrested after the incident on Water Street, near the city’s town hall. Police declared the situation a major incident and said “extensive” enquiries were continuing to establish the circumstances leading up to the collision. Merseyside Police’s Assistant Chief Constable Jenny Sims told a press conference on Monday evening the collision was being treated as an isolated incident. Police were not looking for anyone else in relation to the incident, and it is not being treated as terrorism. Liverpool confirmed the club were in contact with police and said they were continuing to support emergency services and local authorities. What exactly happened? Liverpool’s victory parade was scheduled to begin at 2:30pm (BST) and last four hours, with two open-top buses carrying players and staff taking a 15km route through the city as the club and supporters celebrated a first Premier League title since the Covid-19 pandemic-disrupted 2019-20 season. Merseyside Police had warned of a high volume of people coming into the city ahead of the parade, with “hundreds of thousands” of people described as attending. Police said they received reports shortly after 6pm of a car colliding with a number of pedestrians on Water Street in Liverpool city centre. Video footage shows the car, surrounded by a large crowd, moving slowly before speeding up and knocking multiple pedestrians to the ground. A man was detained and Chief Constable Sims told a press conference on Monday evening this was believed to be the driver of the vehicle involved. North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) attended the scene, including an air ambulance, to administer aid. A cyclist paramedic was also struck by the vehicle but did not sustain any injuries. Advertisement The parade marked Liverpool’s first opportunity in 35 years to fully celebrate an English top-flight title. The 2020 title coronation was played behind closed doors and a parade was not permitted due to the Covid-19 lockdown restrictions. Liverpool secured the Premier League title with victory over Tottenham Hotspur on April 27. The club received the Premier League trophy following their final top-flight game of the campaign against Crystal Palace on Sunday. What do we know about casualties? NWAS confirmed 27 people were taken to various local hospitals by ambulance, with two of those sustaining serious injuries. Twenty people were treated at the scene for minor injuries, which did not need hospital treatment. Some patients have also self-presented at local hospitals following the incident. Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service said when they arrived on the scene, four people were trapped under a vehicle, including one child. What else have the authorities said? Emergency services described arriving on scene and working quickly to attend to the injured and transport patients to hospital. David Kitchin of NWAS said: “We’d like to extend our thanks to Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service, and Merseyside Police, both of whom assisted in attending to the injured in very rapid sequence, as did many supporters in the city centre.” Emergency services attended to the scene in the Liverpool city centre (Paul Ellis/AFP via Getty Images) Nick Searle of Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service added: “Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service were informed at 6:07pm. We immediately mobilised three fire engines to Water Street and were in attendance in four minutes. On arrival, the crew were met with numerous injured people and four persons trapped under a vehicle. Our crews rapidly lifted the vehicle, removed three adults and one child from underneath, and passed them to our ambulance service colleagues.” Advertisement In a statement released shortly after the collision and again during the evening’s press conference, Merseyside Police reiterated the importance of not speculating on the circumstances of the incident and spreading misinformation on social media. Chief Constable Sims added at the press conference: “In the lead-up to this event, we have been working closely with event organisers, and a robust traffic management plan was put in place for the parade, which included a number of road closures throughout the route and the city centre.” What did eyewitnesses say? Eyewitness Chelsea Yuen told Sky Sports News : “We were like sardines walking up. We heard beeping and screaming. When we looked up there was a black people carrier driving straight towards us. Me and my friend jumped out the way and pulled her little girl out the way. It must have been going about 30mph. “We could see all the windows smashed by people trying to chase down the car. All of a sudden police and ambulances came from everywhere. “There were prams in the street. There were kids everywhere, it’s a family celebration. It’s shocking what has happened.“ Off-duty BBC reporter Dan Ogunshakin told BBC News : ”All of a sudden we noticed an ambulance was moving down the crowd and I said to my friend, ‘I wonder if someone had fallen ill’, as obviously the ambulance is attending to someone. “Then what we noticed was people were hitting the car and shaking the car and we wondered why this was suddenly happening. “What had once been an atmosphere of celebration and joy and happiness suddenly turned into fear and terror and disbelief.” Liverpool’s title parade took place in the city centre on Monday (Jess Hornby/Getty Images) Eyewitness Harry Rashid, speaking to Sky Sports News: “The bus had just passed us and I was walking up Water Street with my family when I saw this vehicle. Initially it was adjacent to an ambulance. It ploughed into a few people and then came to a stop. We were shocked, there was a lot of confusion and a lot of screams.” Advertisement Has there been any other reaction? A Liverpool statement 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.” UK Prime Minister Keir 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.” Former Liverpool manager Sir Kenny Dalglish said : “Shocked, horrified and deeply saddened about what happened at the end of the parade today. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone and their families who have been impacted by today’s tragic event. “Our anthem has never felt more appropriate, You’ll Never Walk Alone. Your Liverpool family are behind you.” ‘Elation replaced by shock, fear and panic’ By The Athletic’s James Pearce, in Liverpool For so long it was a day of unbridled joy. Hundreds of thousands of supporters lined the parade route through the streets of Liverpool to pay homage to their Premier League title-winning heroes. Not even torrential rain could dampen the mood as a celebratory red haze hung over a triumphant city. ‘This is by far the number one (best footballing experience).” head coach Arne Slot said. “This is beyond what you can expect. What you can dream of? Maybe. It’s unbelievable. “You can’t imagine what you see. I’ve won a few things before and that was so beautiful, but you can’t compare this with anything. Every age is here, you look into their eyes. You can hardly imagine there are more citizens of Liverpool, all through the route there are so many people. It is beyond my dreams.” Advertisement At 5.45pm the bus carrying Slot and his players passed the iconic Liver Building as the fireworks lit up the sky and families cheered with delight. Some 20 minutes later the feeling in the same spot was very different as the sound of sirens grew louder and louder. Then an air ambulance emerged. I watched the parade with my father and 12-year-old son from the balcony of a friend’s apartment on The Strand. Suddenly, messages started to filter through that there had been a serious incident on Water Street, close to the town hall, just 300 yards away. When I made my way down to street level, it became clear that elation had been replaced by a sense of shock, fear and panic. There were fans weeping and consoling each other as they relived the horrific scenes they had just witnessed. There was also a growing feeling of anger and despair that such an eagerly-awaited occasion could be blighted like this. 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