In normal circumstances, when a team wins a tournament, they hold a parade where they ride around in a party bus. At the same time, they are hoisting the trophy that they won around for everyone, particulary the fans, to see. Usually, there aren't any problems. Everyone is thrilled to see the players and said trophy. However, things took a tragic turn when Liverpool were having their trophy parade.
The mood in Liverpool had been jubilant. In an instant, the joyful day had turned dark. At around 18:00 on Monday, police said a 53-year-old British man plowed his vehicle into the crowd, injuring almost 50 people, including 27 who were sent to one of several hospitals in the area. Two people, including a child, were seriously injured. A fire department spokesman said that four people had to be pulled from underneath the car.
The impact of the vehicle slamming into the sea of pedestrians quickly rippled through this proudly working class city on England’s northwestern coast.
Liverpool is a place long obsessed with football (it is home to two top-tier clubs, Liverpool and Everton) but the parade on Monday was the first time in years that fans of Liverpool F.C., many of whom come from around the world, could put their enthusiasm on full display. The last time the team won the Premier League was during Covid, when no public celebration was possible.
Despite the rain and a chill in the air, hundreds of thousands had turned out along the 10-mile route to honuor their team. "In the city, there were beers, chanting all the time," said Michael Krüger, a lawyer who had flown to Liverpool with his brother, Christian, from Copenhagen. “It was wet, but the mood was good. Everywhere, no harsh words, no fighting. Everyone was just hugging each other. It was very nice.”
That cheer abruptly turned to disbelief, sadness and anger, especially for people who had been walking along Water Street and who witnessed the sudden acceleration of the car.
A 53 year-old man, has arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and dangerous driving offences. Detective Karen Jaundrill said the police have arrested a 53-year-old man from the West Derby area of Liverpool.
She says he has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, dangerous driving offences and driving while unfit through drugs. He remains in custody where he is being interviewed. There were 65 casualties, she says, with specialist officers providing support to the victims of the incident.
Extensive CCTV inquiries are being carried out to establish the movements of the Ford Galaxy car, she says. In footage verified by the BBC, fans could be seen confronting the car before it ploughed through the crowds.
Video from the scene shows the car ploughing into the a group of people then speeding up before coming to a halt. Other footage shows people striking the car after it stopped, with the back windscreen shattered.
Numerous emergency service vehicles attended the scene. One eyewitness, BBC reporter, Matt Cole, described seeing a car coming through the crowd that, "just wasn't stopping." He said it was being chased by a group of men, "who were trying to bang on the side of it and throw things at it."
He estimated the car was travelling at "more than 20 [mph]". He said his initial assumption was that the driver just wanted to, "barge through crowds because they didn't want to wait".
Another witness, Matthew O'Carroll, 28, from Runcorn, saw the car approaching the top of Water Street. He said the vehicle had been going at a "decent" speed and that the driver had been beeping as he went through the crowd.
The BBC has also heard from other witnesses, including Daniel Eveson from Telford, Shropshire, and Jack Trotter, from Newtownards, County Down, who were injured in Monday's collision. Mr Eveson was walking up the parade with his family when they noticed people running towards them. Suddenly, the car emerged from the crowd.
"I saw a gentleman on the bonnet and the rest was just chaos," he said. The car struck him in the chest before his partner was dragged under its wheels and then down the road. Meanwhile, he says the impact spun their son's pram about four and half metres (15ft) down the street.
Mr. Trotter - who had travelled to the parade with his girlfriend Abbie Gallagher - was hit by the car as it drove into fans on Water Street. He has since been discharged from hospital. In a post on social media, Mr. Trotter described the scenes as "crazy."
"The parade was going unreal until the very end. Unfortunately I was hit, however I'm extremely lucky as I dodged the car just in time," he wrote, adding that he was, "in absolute shock how an event like this can turn to such a tragedy."
On Tuesday, club captain, Virgil van Dijk, said he was, "praying for a speedy recovery" for all those injured in the crash following the title parade.
Former Liverpool manager, Jurgen Klopp, who attended the parade, said he was, "shocked and devastated." He added: "Our thoughts and prayers are with all those who are injured and affected. You’ll never walk alone."
Liverpool-born club academy graduate, Trent Alexander-Arnold, said: "My thoughts are with the whole city, especially all affected by yesterday’s devastating events. Hopefully those who were injured will make a full recovery and the city will pull together as it always does."
Club legend, Sir Kenny Dalglish, said he was, "shocked, horrified and deeply saddened" before adding, "your Liverpool family are behind you." Ex-striker, Robbie Fowler, called the news, "heartbreaking" and said he was, "absolutely sickened with what’s happened here."
Former Liverpool defender, Jamie Carragher, posted on X: "Devastating end to the day, just pray everyone is ok."
Mohamed Salah drew the ire of social media users for sharing a post celebrating Liverpool’s Premier League title triumph shortly after a terrifying car crash sucked the air out of the trophy parade.
The scene in the Liverpool City Center swiftly devolved into chaos as first responders and officers rushed into action. A local restaurant, Riva Blu, was converted into a makeshift ER while an air ambulance additionally touched down to provide aid.
Taking to X following the horrifying incident, Salah posted a photo of himself kissing the Premier League trophy while on the pitch. The image, which didn't come with any caption, appeared to be prescheduled.
Droves of Liverpool fans slammed the post, insisting that it shouldn’t have gone out in light of the tragedy that took place. "This scheduled post has landed at a bad time. They need to do damage control," one X user wrote, with another adding: "Mo, you need new people to run your socials…" A third chimed in, "This is why you should never relinquish control of your socials to a soulless media team. Completely inappropriate."
In an official statement addressing the tragic event, Liverpool F.C. sent well wishes to those who were impacted and confirmed they were working with police. "We are in direct contact with Merseyside Police regarding the incident on Water Street which happened towards the end of the trophy parade earlier this evening," the club wrote. "Our thoughts and prayers are with those who have been affected by this serious incident."
There is no justifiable reason for this happening. It should've been a joyful day that is meant solely to celebrate the club's success. It wouldn't surprise me if the person responsible is a rival fan, most likely an Arsenal fan (due to them finishing 2nd). A possible piece of evidence is the lack of concern for the number of people who needed to be hospitalised. A Liverpool fan wouldn't be so heartless. This is probably bad to say but I hope the man responsible gets a lengthy prison sentence for the chaos he caused.
Are you good at predicting scores on various sports? Are you willing to put money where your mouth is? If so, register for Hollywoodbets through the link below and see how successful you are.
Good Luck! As always, no persons under the age of 18 are permitted to gamble. Winners know when to stop. T & C's apply.