This is the moment Liverpool fans desperately intervened to try and stop a driver from ploughing into crowds at their Premier League victory parade.
Nearly 50 people have been injured after a car rammed into a group of nearly a million supporters who had gathered in the city centre yesterday – with four still seriously ill in hospital.
Footage from Water Street – where the chaos unfolded – shows fans surrounding a Ford Galaxy and shouting ‘what are you doing?’ and ‘get out of the car’ to the man at the wheel.
After briefly edging forward, the driver then reverses through the tightly packed crowds before surging forward while beeping his horn.
Witnesses claimed the car accelerated, swerved, and mounted the pavement before ‘all hell broke loose’ as it rammed through the crowds for 200 yards – sending people ‘flying in all directions’.
A 53-year-old white British man from the Liverpool area was arrested, Merseyside Police confirmed.
The parade began at Allerton Maze south of the city before embarking on a 10-mile route over three-and-a-half hours ending with a finale on the Strand in the city centre.
The bus had only recently passed Water Street, about a mile before the parade’s endpoint, before the ramming happened.
Footage from Water Street – where the chaos unfolded – shows fans surrounding a Ford Galaxy and shouting ‘what are you doing?’ as it surges back and forth
Later footage shows the car driving into pedestrians, injuring nearly 50
A 53-year-old white British man from Liverpool was arrested by police
Other footage of the incident, which was circulating online, appeared to show the car speed up as it veered into pedestrians on both sides of the street, passing a Hooters, with people knocked to the floor off the windshield, falling to the ground and darting out of the way to avoid harm.
One onlooker, Matthew O’Carroll, 28, from Runcorn, saw the car approaching the top of Water Street.
He said the vehicle went past a parked police van at a ‘decent’ speed and that the driver was beeping as he went through the crowd.
Meanwhile, witness Mike Maddra described how the ‘car turned left, mounted pavement, come towards us and runs towards the buildings’.
He said: ‘we got out the way and it was speeding up’.
Mr Maddra said he thought he saw two people being hit and added, ‘it looked deliberate’.
Social media video also showed angry fans converging on the vehicle as it came to a stop, smashing windows before police intervened.
Harry Rashid, 48, from Solihul, said you could ‘hear the bumps’ as the driver rammed spectators.
The scene of where the car ploughed into crowds on Water Street is seen this morning
He described how crowds began trying to smash the car windows, causing the driver to stall for about 10 seconds, before putting his foot down again and hitting more people.
Witnesses told The Guardian the whole ordeal lasted 20-30 seconds, and the first victim was thrown ‘about 20 feet’ in the air.
Dan Ogunshakin, an off-duty BBC reporter attending the parade, told the public broadcaster he saw people hitting the car before it reversed and then ‘it suddenly accelerated forwards’, straight towards the surrounding crowd.
‘What had once been an atmosphere of celebration and joy and happiness suddenly turned into fear and terror and disbelief,’ he said.
Police said the car eventually stopped at the scene and the man was detained.
Mr Cole later described how police officers exited a ‘squad’ of armed police vehicles with rifles and medical packs and began running to the scene.
Daniel Jones, 28, told The Sun newspaper that police restrained people who were ‘smashing’ the car.
‘They were ripping the register plate off,’ he said. ‘The back window was broken when the (driver) was still in it.’
Jack Trotter (pictured) was struck by the driver on Water Street, shortly after 6pm. He had been out celebrating his team’s league title win during the club’s victory parade
A large forensic tent protected the scene of the crash this morning as police continued gathering evidence
Twenty-seven people were taken to hospital, and a further 20 were treated at the scene.
Nick Searle, Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service chief fire officer, said four people who were trapped under the car, including a child, were rescued by firefighters.
At a press conference, Merseyside Police Assistant Chief Constable Jenny Sims said the ‘horrific incident’ was not being treated as terrorism.
Liverpool Echo reporter Paddy Edrich said local Italian restaurant Riva was used as a makeshift triage centre.
‘People inside Riva are being treated by paramedics. Some have bandages around their heads and limbs,’ he said in a post on X.
‘Staff in the restaurant appear to be providing fluids to those being treated and the emergency services.’
Other casualties were spotted being taken away by ambulance to nearby hospitals.
A heavy emergency services presence remained in place for hours afterwards, with police cars, fire engines and ambulances remaining on the street.
Pictured: The man who was driving the car in Liverpool
A large blue tent was erected on Water Street, with two fire engines parked in front.
In a statement, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: ‘The scenes in Liverpool are appalling – my thoughts are with all those injured or affected.’
He later added: ‘Tonight, I have spoken to Steve Rotheram about the terrible events in Liverpool and the remarkable bravery shown by the police and other emergency services.
‘They are supporting and caring for those injured in these terrible events.
‘Everyone, especially children, should be able to celebrate their heroes without this horror.
‘The city has a long and proud history of coming together through difficult times.
‘Liverpool stands together and the whole country stands with Liverpool.’
