On Monday, the 26th of May, during a parade by Liverpool FC fans celebrating the English Premier League title, a car crashed into a crowd of fans and 27 people were hospitalised, two of them with serious injuries, but police said they did not believe the incident was terror-related, reports Reuters.
Police said they had arrested a “53-year-old white British man from Liverpool area” who was allegedly driving the car.
Twenty people were treated at the scene. The ambulance service said that of the 27 people taken to hospital, four were children. One child and one adult were in serious condition. Firefighters had to free four people trapped under the vehicle.
“My thoughts are with all those injured and affected,” Prime Minister Keir Starmer wrote on X, calling the scenes “horrific” and saying he was being kept informed of the events.
The Liverpool team said on X it was in direct contact with the police. “Our thoughts and prayers are with those affected by this serious incident,” Liverpool FC said.
Videos posted on social media showed people being thrown into the air by a car as it ploughed into the crowd.
⚡ALERT: More footage from the hit and run incident that stopped Liverpool’s trophy parade 🏴 pic.twitter.com/2IyYHj02Ky
— Haki FC (@thehakifc) May 26, 2025
“We believe this is an isolated incident and we are not looking for anyone else in connection with it at this time. This incident is not being treated as terrorism,” Interim Chief Constable Jenny Sims told reporters.
With most people off for the spring break, hundreds of thousands of fans gathered to watch the Liverpool team and its staff ride through the city centre on a bus with the Premier League trophy.
pic.twitter.com/TwffgUwG8q
— @drwnunez (@1414chiesa) May 26, 2025
An eyewitness said the collision happened about ten minutes after the bus carrying the Liverpool team had passed, the British broadcaster BBC reported.
The incident “casts a very dark shadow over this joyous day”, Liverpool City Council leader Liam Robinson said on social media.
Police were quick to share details of the man arrested. Former police official Dal Babu told the BBC that it was likely to stop false rumours circulating on social media that it was an Islamist attack.
Liverpool FC last won the trophy during the Covid-19 pandemic, when celebrations were not allowed because of the lockdown.