Liverpool parade: Vehicle strikes people during Liverpool celebration
A man has been detained after a car hit a number of fans during Liverpool’s parade in celebration of their Premier League title success, police said.
A driver rammed a car into soccer fans celebrating Liverpool’s Premier League title on May 26, injuring at least 47 people, including children, officials and authorities said.
The suspect, identified as a 53-year-old white British man from the Liverpool area, was arrested at the scene on May 26 after a large group of supporters who were celebrating in the city in northwest England were injured after the crash. Police said they did not believe the incident was terrorism-related.
Hundreds of thousands of fans gathered to watch Liverpool Football Club and its staff travel through the city center on an open-top bus with the Premier League trophy. When the car stopped, angry fans converged on it and began smashing the windows as police officers intervened to prevent them from reaching the driver.
“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,” temporary Deputy Chief Constable Jenny Sims told reporters.
The North West Ambulance Service said that 27 people were taken to the hospital, with two suffering serious injuries. Another 20 people were treated at the scene for minor injuries.
Among the injured were four children, including one whose condition was considered serious, Dave Kitchin of the North West Ambulance Service said at a news conference. Nick Searle, chief fire officer of the Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service, said first responders had to lift a car pinning down four people, including a child.
“We are working closely with our partners at Merseyside Police and share their appeal for calm,” North West Ambulance Service said in a statement. “This is indeed an appalling incident, and we understand that people will be deeply upset.”
‘People were running, screaming’
Earlier, police said a car had collided with pedestrians near the parade for the English professional soccer team in the evening after 6 p.m. local time. The vehicle stopped at the scene, and the man was detained.
United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he is being updated on developments in Liverpool.
“The scenes in Liverpool are appalling — my thoughts are with all those injured or affected,” he said in a post on X.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper commended police and emergency services for “their swift response to the truly shocking and horrendous scenes.”
Sonny Singh, who had been celebrating with his two sons, told The Guardian that he saw an injured teenager and dozens of people run past him “crying and angry” shortly after the crash.
“People were running, screaming … I saw a boy, probably about 15, holding his leg and bleeding. There were loads of people there,” he told the news outlet.
Sporting celebrations marred by tragedy
Liverpool sealed the title last month with four games to spare and ended the season with a 10-point lead over second-placed Arsenal in the English Premier League, England’s top-tier professional soccer league.
Liverpool officially lifted the league trophy after Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace at Anfield.
During the celebrations earlier on Monday, the players and staff waved to the crowd from an open-top bus with the words “Ours. Again.” emblazoned on the side as red flares were lit along the route, running from Allerton Maze to Blundell Street.
In a statement posted to X, Liverpool Football Club said it was in direct contact with local police about the incident that happened toward the end of the trophy parade.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with those who have been affected by this serious incident,” the club’s statement said. “We will continue to offer our full support to the emergency services and local authorities who are dealing with this incident.”
The May 26 incident is the latest in a series of sporting celebrations marred by tragedy. In the United States, the Philadelphia Eagles’ Super Bowl parade in February saw two people shot. And in 2024, a shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs’ championship parade killed a mother and injured 20 others.
Contributing: Charles Ventura, USA TODAY; Reuters
(This story was updated to add new information.)
https://www.gannett-cdn.com/authoring/authoring-images/2025/05/26/USAT/83866787007-20250526-t-191348-z-1624062927-up-1-el-5-q-1-g-9-bn-9-rtrmadp-3-soccerenglandlivincident.JPG?auto=webp&crop=3879,2182,x0,y0&format=pjpg&width=1200
2025-05-26 18:35:06