Merseyside police announced that the dramatic incident occurred at Water Street after 18:00 British time. Many pedestrians were hit, and 27 people were taken to hospital, of which two people were assessed as severe. The officers detained a 53-year-old white man from the vicinity of Liverpool, who was probably the driver of the vehicle.
One of the witnesses of the events was the BBC reporter Matt Cole, who was on the spot with his family. He described that the car drove next to them “literally a few inches”. He mentioned that a moment before the tragedy everyone was happy, watching fireworks and a bus with Liverpool players, when a dark blue car suddenly entered the crowd. According to him, the ambulance nearby slowed down the vehicle, but the car did not slow down, and people began to call and throw sideways. “It was the moment when adrenaline took control” – he said.
Joy turned into fear and terror. Liverpool fans in shock after the incident
In turn, Harry Rashid, a resident of Solihull, who was there with his family, told how the car drove through the crowd, throwing people on the mask. “It was extremely fast. I saw people lying on earth, unconscious. It was so terrible” – He admitted a conversation with the PA Press Agency.
Another witness, Dan Ogunshakin, also a BBC reporter on the parade, said that the crowd surrounding the car tried to stop him. He described the moment when the vehicle withdrew, “rejected people” and accelerated again straight into the crowd. “The atmosphere of joy and celebration in an instant turned into fear, terror and disbelief” He added.
Matthew O'Carroll, a 28-year-old resident of Runcorn, mentioned that he saw a vehicle bypassing a police van at high speed, with the rear window already compact. According to him, the driver seemed to try to drive through the crowd without his intention.
Another man, Mike Maddra, described how the car pulled onto the pavement and hit pedestrians near buildings. “It looked deliberate. The whole day of celebration was ruined” He said clearly shocked.
The police and medical services quickly arrived, and armed emergency departments immediately took action. The police are investigating, and the details of the driver's motives and the circumstances of the incident have not yet been disclosed.
