This story has been updated with new details following a press conference in Liverpool on the evening of May 26.
A car collided with pedestrians during a busy parade in Liverpool, England, on Monday. Shortly after 6 p.m. local time, The Guardian reports that Emergency Services arrived at Liverpool’s Water Street after reports “a car had been in collision with a number of pedestrians,” according to a statement from local police.
Thousands of residents had lined the city’s streets for a championship parade for Liverpool FC, the city’s renowned soccer team, who defeated Tottenham Hotspur for the Premier League title in April.
Though the extent of injuries or casualties was not immediately clear, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer quickly issued a statement on X. “The scenes in Liverpool are appalling,” he wrote. “My thoughts are with all those injured or affected…I’m being kept updated on developments and ask that we give the police the space they need to investigate.”
Merseyside police announced that they’ve detained a man on the scene of the collision. The police confirmed in a statement that the person they’ve arrested is a 53-year-old white male from the Liverpool area. “We would ask people not to speculate on the circumstances surrounding tonight’s incident,” the police added.
At a press conference approximately five hours after the events unfolded, Merseyside Deputy Chief Constable Jenny Sims announced that authorities believe the man in custody is the sole suspect in an isolated incident which is “not being treated as terrorism.” Officials also stated that 20 people were treated for minor injuries at the scenes, while another 27 were transported to area hospitals. Two of those hospitalized victims, including one child, have serious injuries, the authorities said.
According to The Guardian, PA Media quoted a man named Harry Rashid who witnessed the collision while attending the parade with his family. “Initially, we just heard the pop, pop, pop of people just being knocked off the bonnet of a car,” he said, before explaining that the crowd tried to smash the car windows.
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“He stalled for a few seconds…But then he put his foot down again and just plowed through the rest of them…It was horrible. And you could hear the bumps as he was going over the people.”
The New York Times published footage of the scene’s aftermath, with dozens of police officers directing crowds amidst a flurry of ambulances and emergency vehicles.
From Rolling Stone US
