Emergency services have confirmed that 27 people were hospitalised following the incident that saw a car collide with a crowd of Liverpool supporters. Among those taken to hospital were four children. Two people are in a “serious” condition, including a child.
Four people are said to have been dragged out from under the vehicle after it drove into a crowd. David Kitchin of the North West Ambulance Service also confirmed that a paramedic was struck by the car but was not seriously injured. Nobody has died. Kitchin said: “We can confirm that our teams treated 20 patients at the scene for minor injuries, and these did not need hospital treatment. Twenty-seven patients in total were taken to hospital by ambulance, and we believe two of those, including one of the children, have sustained serious injuries.”
Earlier in the evening, Merseyside Police revealed that a 53-year-old white British man had been arrested. He is believed to have been the driver of the car. It is being treated as an isolated incident and police are not looking for anyone else.
Footage showed a vehicle ploughing into Liverpool supporters on Water Street, close to The Strand. Around a million people had lined the streets of the city to watch Liverpool’s players carry the Premier League trophy in an open-top bus parade. The incident happened towards the end of the parade as crowds began to dissipate.
Terrified eye-witnesses have recalled seeing the car driving into a large group of fans at around 20-30 miles per hour. Merseyside Police have urged people not to share footage on social media, nor speculate about the motivations behind the incident.
Merseyside Police Assistant Chief Constable Jenny Sims said: “The car stopped at the scene and a 53-year-old white, British man from the Liverpool area was arrested. We believe him to be the driver of the vehicle.
“Extensive inquiries are ongoing to establish the circumstances leading up to the collision, and it is vital that people do not speculate or spread misinformation on social media. I know that people will understandably be concerned by what has happened tonight.
“What I can tell you is that we believe this to be an isolated incident, and we are not currently looking for anyone else in relation to it. The incident is not being treated as terrorism.”
Police also praised by-standers who rushed to the aid of injured pedestrians. Emergency services were quick to the scene, having already taken up a large presence in the city. The car was covered for forensic investigations to take place. Medics set up a pop-up tent to act as a temporary A&E centre.
Fire services arrived at the scene to lift the car so that people could be dragged from underneath and treated for their injuries.
Liverpool were celebrating winning the Premier League title in front of fans for the first time since 1990. They also lifted the top-flight title during the Covid-disrupted 2019-20 campaign, when fans were unable to attend matches and social limitations prevented a large-scale celebration in the Merseyside area.
The club 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.”
