A British man has been arrested after a car crashed into football fans celebrating Liverpool’s Premier League title victory, resulting in injuries to at least 47 individuals.
Emergency services, including an air ambulance, responded to the incident on Water Street in the city center shortly after 6 PM as the parade was concluding.
Video footage captured the moment the dark-colored vehicle struck multiple pedestrians who were participating in the celebrations before coming to a halt.
Members of the crowd surrounded the vehicle, banging on its windows. The driver, a 53-year-old white man from the Liverpool area, was apprehended by police at the scene.
Merseyside Police Assistant Chief Constable Jenny Sims stated at a press conference that the incident is not being classified as an act of terrorism.
“We believe this to be an isolated incident, and we are not currently looking for anyone else in relation to it,” she informed reporters.
According to North West Ambulance Service’s Dave Kitchen, 47 individuals sustained injuries. Twenty of these were treated at the scene for minor injuries, while 27 were transported to various hospitals across Liverpool, including four children. One adult and one child suffered serious injuries, and four individuals—three adults and one child—were trapped under the vehicle.
Nick Searle, chief fire officer of Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service, reported that their crews quickly lifted the vehicle and freed the trapped individuals, who were then handed over to ambulance service personnel.
Liam Robinson, leader of Liverpool City Council, remarked that the incident had “cast a very dark shadow on what had been a joyous day for the city and the finale to a fabulous bank holiday weekend.”
“On behalf of everyone here in Liverpool, our thoughts and prayers are with those affected by this appalling incident in the city centre,” Robinson added, expressing gratitude to the emergency services for their swift response.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer expressed solidarity with Liverpool, stating, “the whole country stands with Liverpool.” He acknowledged the bravery of the emergency services assisting those injured.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper described the scenes as “truly shocking” and thanked emergency services for their prompt actions during the crisis.
Tens of thousands had gathered in heavy rain for the celebrations, which featured players on an open-topped bus with fireworks. The bus had passed by Water Street just moments before the car collided with the crowd, according to witnesses.
Witness Natasha Rinaldi described the chaos, stating, “It was so loud. People sounded desperate.” She noted that the crowd attempted to confront the driver following the crash.
Harry Rashid, who was at the parade with his family, recounted the incident occurring “extremely fast,” with sounds of people being struck by the vehicle.
Daniel Jones, who was celebrating nearby, expressed relief that his family was not harmed, describing the scene as horrifying and chaotic, with many individuals rushing to aid the injured.
A Merseyside Police spokesperson confirmed that they were responding to reports of a road traffic collision and stated that extensive inquiries were ongoing to determine the circumstances leading to the incident.
Liverpool FC released a statement indicating they were “in direct contact” with police regarding the crash and extended their thoughts and prayers to those affected.
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