Merseyside Police have announced that a car crash involving pedestrians in Liverpool city center during a big celebration for the Liverpool Football Club is not being considered a terrorist act.
The police have arrested a 53-year-old man from the Liverpool area, who they believe was driving the car. They think he acted alone in this incident.
A spokesperson from the North West Ambulance Service shared that 27 people were taken to the hospital, and four of them are still there, with two in serious condition. In total, 47 people were hurt in the accident.
Liverpool City Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram told the BBC that “there are still four people who are very, very ill in the hospital… We are hoping, of course, that they pull through.”
The Chief Fire Officer from Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service mentioned that four people, including one child, were stuck under the vehicle.
Many police cars and ambulances rushed to the scene on Water Street, and an air ambulance also showed up to help.
A video shared on social media showed a car driving into fans who were celebrating along the street. At one point, it looked like the car swerved away from the most crowded area.
Police quickly surrounded the car, and other videos showed upset fans trying to get to the driver.
In a statement after the crash, Merseyside Police said: “We are currently dealing with reports of a RTC [road traffic collision] in Liverpool city centre. We were contacted just after 6 PM today, Monday, May 26, after reports that a car had hit several pedestrians on Water Street. The car stopped at the scene, and a man has been detained.”
Later, the police added: “We would ask people not to guess about what happened during tonight’s incident on Water Street in Liverpool city centre. We can confirm that the man arrested is a 53-year-old white British man from the Liverpool area.”
Liverpool Football Club released a statement saying: “We are in direct contact with Merseyside Police about the incident on Water Street, which happened towards the end of the trophy parade earlier this evening. Our thoughts and prayers are with those affected by this serious incident. We will continue to support the emergency services and local authorities who are handling this situation.”
This accident happened while hundreds of thousands of fans were celebrating Liverpool winning the Premier League title.