A 53-year-old white man was arrested after he crashed a car into parade-goers who were celebrating Liverpool FC’s Premier League title in the English city’s center on Monday evening.
Local cops initially described the incident with the abbreviation for “road traffic collision,” stopping short of saying whether they believe the crash was a deliberate attack or not. However, one witness said that the crash “looked clearly deliberate.”
In a press conference hours after the incident, Merseyside Police confirmed that the collision would not be “treated as terrorism” and is so far instead believed to be an “isolated incident.”
“Extensive enquires are ongoing to establish the circumstances leading up to the collision and it is vital that people do not speculate or spread misinformation on social media,” Assistant Chief Constable Jenny Sims said.
“I know that people will understandably be concerned by what has happened tonight. What I can tell you is we believe this to be an isolated incident and we are not currently looking for anyone else in relation to it,” she continued. “The incident is not being treated as terrorism.”
Authorities further noted that 27 people were injured and had been taken to a hospital, four of which were children. They added that two individuals, including one child, had sustained serious injuries.
Footage taken from a window overlooking the parade showed the vehicle accelerating after it rammed into Liverpool supporters. Some of those struck were left lying in the street, clearly injured.
Images captured a victim being taken away on a stretcher, and another man was seen walking with the help of first responders.
The Guardian reported that the crash happened soon after local authorities reopened roads for traffic at the parade’s conclusion. Not long before, Liverpool FC stars Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah celebrated with a crowd of tens of thousands as they rode on an open-top bus.
Police have not named the suspect or said what charges he faces. They did say he was a 53-year-old white man who lives in the Liverpool area.
Harry Rashid, 48, witnessed the collision from about 10 feet away. He is among the witnesses who described the incident as appearing deliberate.
“This gray people-carrier just pulled up from the right and just rammed into all the people at the side of us,” he told the Guardian.
He added, “It was extremely fast. Initially, we just heard the pop, pop, pop of people just being knocked off the bonnet of a car.”
Parade-goers swarmed the vehicle and tried to smash its windows in, Rashid said. He claimed the driver responded by putting his foot on the gas again and was “plowing” through anyone who got in his way.
“It was horrible, and you could hear the bumps as he was going over the people,” he said. “They were just innocent people, just fans going to enjoy the parade.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the incident was “appalling.”
“I want to thank the police and emergency services for their swift and ongoing response to this shocking incident,” he said. “I’m being kept updated on developments and ask that we give the police the space they need to investigate.”
