London
CNN
–
British police arrested the man after a car plowed to Liverpool fans during the football club’s Premier League Trophy Parade on Monday evening.
“The man arrested is a 53-year-old white British man from the Liverpool area,” Merseyside police said in a statement, urging people not to speculate about the circumstances of the incident.
Local police previously said they were contacted in the city centre shortly after 6pm local time (1pm EST).
“The car stopped at the scene and the man was taken into custody,” he added.
The incident came the same day as the city was filled with soccer fans taking part in the open top bus parade to celebrate Liverpool Football Club’s 20th Top Flight League title.
Videos from social media seem to show the vehicle plowing up to pedestrians celebrating on the streets.
“This grey people’s career got up from the right and plunged into everyone on our side… It was very fast. At first, I heard pop, pop and pop knock out from the hood of the car.”
Rashid, who attended the parade with his wife and two young daughters, said the crowd had started to run and smash the car windows. “It was horrifying. And I could hear the bumps as he was watching people… I saw people lying on the ground, people were unconscious. It was horrifying. It was so horrifying,” he said.
The Monday parade coincided with another May public holiday in the UK, with players from the Liverpool team driving around the city centre on open-top buses. Hundreds of thousands of delighted fans joined the festival along the flags and red smoke of flares on the 10-mile route (16km).
“The Liverpool scene is horrifying. My thoughts are with all those injured or affected,” said British Prime Minister Kiel Starmer, who thanked the police and emergency services “for their prompt and continuous response to this shocking incident.”
Video shared by Reuters News Agency showed emergency services tended to be people, with some being taken to stretcher ambulances.
Photos from the scene also show officials sealing heavy, scattered roads as officers investigate the area. The tent is located where the crash occurred.
The Liverpool Football Club said it was in contact with Merseyside police regarding the incident. “Our thoughts and prayers are with those affected by this serious incident and we will continue to provide full support to the emergency services and local governments dealing with this incident,” he said in X.
Liverpool FC’s local rival teams, Everton Football Club and the Premier League, also expressed their sadness on social media.
In a subsequent post on social media, Northwest Ambulance Service (NWAS) said the Liverpool city centre scene is “currently cleared,” adding that it will provide information on casualties at a press conference later Monday.
A local hospital group pleaded that people refrain from calling their power boards. “I know a lot of people are worried about their loved ones. I’ll contact your near-kind so please help me manage the best case possible by refraining from calling the exchange board.”
This is a developing story and will be updated.
