A day of jubilation turned into chaos in Liverpool on Monday as a car deliberately drove into crowds celebrating the city’s Premier League title win, injuring at least 27 people. Merseyside Police have arrested a 53-year-old local man in connection with the incident and confirmed it is not being treated 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,” said Merseyside Police Assistant Chief Constable Jenny Sims at a press briefing. “The incident is not being treated as terrorism,” she added. The crash took place at around 6:00 pm local time near Water Street, shortly after Liverpool’s open-top victory bus passed the area. An AFP journalist on site reported several victims being carried away on stretchers, though the full extent of the injuries is still unknown. “It was extremely fast,” said Harry Rashid, 48, who was attending the parade with his wife and daughters. “Initially we just heard the pop, pop, pop of people just being knocked off the bonnet of the car. It was horrible and you could hear the bumps as he was going over the people.” Another eyewitness, Mike Maddra, said, “The car turned left, mounted the pavement, came towards us and ran towards the buildings. We got out the way and it was speeding up.” Emergency services responded swiftly, setting up cordons and treating the injured on-site. The North West Ambulance Service said it was coordinating with other agencies to manage the aftermath. Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the incident as “appalling” and expressed solidarity with those affected. “My thoughts are with all those injured or affected,” he wrote on X, adding that he was receiving updates on the ongoing investigation. BBC journalist Matt Cole, who was at the parade with his daughter, recalled the terrifying moments. “There were screams ahead of us and suddenly this dark blue car just came through the crowd. It just wasn’t stopping. I managed to grab my daughter who was with me and jump out of the way… The car missed myself and my family by literally inches.” Videos on social media showed the vehicle being surrounded by angry fans after it came to a halt, with some smashing its windows while officers tried to manage the crowd. Police urged the public not to speculate and confirmed the driver was a white British man from Liverpool. Liverpool FC posted on X that it was working with authorities and said, “Our thoughts and prayers are with those who have been affected by this serious incident.” Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram described it as “a difficult day for our city region, but we stand together.” City rivals Everton also extended support, stating, “Our thoughts are with all those who have been affected by this serious incident in our city.” The day had begun in celebration, with hundreds of thousands of fans flooding the streets despite heavy rain to mark Liverpool’s record-equalling 20th English league title. Star players Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk led the team on a 10-mile parade route filled with fireworks and red smoke. This marked the first proper title celebration in 35 years. In 2020, when Liverpool last won the Premier League under Jurgen Klopp, the pandemic forced fans to stay home. The incident also rekindled sombre memories for Liverpool, a city familiar with football-related tragedies. In 1989, 97 fans died in the Hillsborough disaster, and in 1985, 39 fans—mostly Italians—lost their lives at the Heysel Stadium in Brussels before a European Cup final.
