‘Not terror’: Dozens hurt but none dead as car rams Liverpool football parade crowd

Police said the incident, in which a people carrier accelerated through a crowd of football fans, was not being treated as terror-related after they arrested the 53-year-old white British driver.

The car is surrounded by police and football fans. Picture: Supplied

A 53-year-old man has been arrested after the people carrier he was driving rammed a crowd of Liverpool football fans injuring 47 people, including four children.

Merseyside Police Assistant Chief Constable Jenny Sims said the incident, which happened as fans celebrated their team’s Premier League title on Monday afternoon (local time), was not terror-related.

“We can confirm the man arrested is a 53-year-old white British man from the Liverpool area. Extensive inquiries are ongoing to establish the circumstances leading up to the collision,” Ms Sims said.

Ms Sims said it was an isolated incident and police were not looking for anyone else.

While 27 people were taken to hospital and many others were treated at the scene, there were no deaths.

Chief Fire Officer of Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service, Nick Searle, said four people, including a child, had been trapped under the vehicle but were safely removed.

Police did not give any reasons behind the crash.

BREAKING 🔴🔴

A driver intentionally rammed into a crowd in Liverpool, England, hitting several pedestrians. pic.twitter.com/xjTk29d1ml

— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) May 26, 2025

Police had immediately moved to secure the area around Water Street in the centre of the city after the van appeared to strike fans in the middle of the pedestrianised road, initially slowing down before turning slightly to the right, then speeding up and appearing to target others fleeing the area.

Footage on social media appears to show the beginning of the attack, with the man quickly opening and shutting the front door of his car before accelerating through the crowd as members of the public chase him down the street, throwing items at the car.

Ambulances and police vans at the scene of the incident in Water Street, on the sidelines of an open-top bus victory parade for Liverpool's Premier League title win, in Liverpool. Picture: AFP

The incident happened shortly before 6pm, several hours after Liverpool football players were paraded on an open-top bus parade through the city centre.

Merseyside Police said the driver of the Ford Galaxy, a man from the Liverpool area, had been arrested, while shocked witnesses described shocking scenes of hearing “pop, pop, pop of people just being knocked off the bonnet of a car”.

Police asked people not to speculate on the incident and not to share distressing footage of the car ploughing through the crowd.

Three local hospitals were put on high alert to receive trauma patients, and the air ambulance arrived on the scene as well as a fleet of ambulances.

Hundreds of thousands of fans had crowded into Liverpool on Monday, a public holiday, to celebrate the club’s successful season. The jubilation of the supporters who had lined the 15km parade route quickly turned to anger as spectators were injured, and police had to form a cordon to stop people from trying to attack the driver as he was bundled into a police van.

The car began its journey in Dale Street before heading down Water Street in the centre of the city.

The car is surrounded by fire engines and ambulances. Picture: AP

Dan Ogunshakin, an off-duty BBC reporter in Liverpool for the parade, told the broadcaster:

“The mood was one of celebration, of happiness, of joy, and then all of a sudden we noticed an ambulance was moving down the crowd and I said to my friend, ‘I wonder if someone had fallen ill,’ as obviously the ambulance is attending to someone.”

He said he saw a grey car in front of the ambulance and “suddenly a lot of people started to surround it”.

“Then what we noticed was people were hitting the car and shaking the car and we wondered why this was suddenly happening.”

Mr Ogunshakin said the car then reversed and knocked people away from it before “it suddenly accelerated forwards” straight towards the crowd of people.

“What had once been an atmosphere of celebration and joy and happiness suddenly turned into fear and terror and disbelief,” he said.

Liverpool football fan Harry Rashid, 48, who was in the street with his wife and two daughters, said: “It happened about 10 feet away from us. We were just in a crowd and we had no control over where we would be, because it was a very narrow street.

“The vehicle came to our right. It emerged from just right next to an ambulance, which was parked up. This grey people carrier just pulled up from the right and just rammed into all the people at the side of us.

“It was extremely fast. Initially, we just heard the pop, pop, pop of people just being knocked off the bonnet of a car.”

Police and emergency personnel with victims of the incident. Picture: AP

Mr Rashid said the driver’s actions appeared to be deliberate. After initially striking spectators the vehicle stalled, but he described how the driver “put his foot down again and just ploughed through the rest of them, he just kept going”.

“It was horrible. And you could hear the bumps as he was going over the people.

“Then my daughter started screaming and there were people on the ground. It looked clearly deliberate.”

A witness who was watching the parade from her friend’s living room said she “heard some screams” and looked out the window and saw that a car had “run over people”.

“Then people started rushing to go after the driver and they tried to break the car,” Natasha Rinaldi told Sky News. “The police did everything to block and to push people away. We could just hear screams and screams. We were very confused.”

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a statement: “The scenes in Liverpool are appalling – my thoughts are with all those injured or affected.

“I want to thank the police and emergency services for their swift and ongoing response to this shocking incident.

“I’m being kept updated on developments and ask that we give the police the space they need to investigate.”

Local tailor Mo Adass told Telegraph UK: “A car has driven down a public road … 17 people as far as I know have been injured and are getting looked after.”

Another man told The Times he saw the vehicle “plough through” the street and hit several people, describing it as “terrifying”.

Police and emergency personnel help a man injured in the incident. Picture: AP

Dom, who declined to give his last name, said: “We were just walking back and a car was next to a police van honking his horn. People were moving out the way and he just put his foot to the floor and went straight through.

“Loads of lads chased him down and about three minutes later a bunch of police chased [him] down. An elderly guy jumped right into my feet.”

Everton Football Club said in a statement: “Our thoughts are with all those who have been affected by this serious incident in our city.”

The Premier League also released a statement, saying: “Everyone at the Premier League is shocked by the appalling events in Liverpool this evening, and our heartfelt thoughts go out to all those injured and affected.

“We have been in contact with Liverpool FC and have offered our full support following this serious incident.”