Frank Christian
Liverpool commemorated its milestone 20th Premier League title with a parade on Monday, but festivities took a dark turn when a car struck pedestrians later in the evening.
The accident took place around 6 p.m. local time in Liverpool, where supporters were jubilantly celebrating the club’s first Premier League title in five years.
According to police reports, “multiple pedestrians” were affected, and 27 individuals were transported to the hospital. Among the injured were four children, with one child and an adult suffering serious injuries. Fire crews managed to assist four people, including a child, who were trapped beneath the vehicle.
A 53-year-old man from the Liverpool area was apprehended by police, who believe he was driving the car. Authorities confirmed that no other suspects are being pursued and ruled out any links to terrorism.
Here are the latest updates concerning the incident and what we know so far.
Updates on Liverpool Parade Incident
This section will be updated.
On Monday, local police reported that a man was taken into custody after colliding with “numerous pedestrians” on Water Street, close to Liverpool’s Premier League trophy parade.
The initial announcement from Merseyside police stated:
We are handling reports of a vehicular collision in the city center of Liverpool.
We received a call shortly after 6:00 today regarding a car that had struck several pedestrians on Water Street.
The vehicle remained at the scene, and one male has been detained.
Emergency services are currently present.
BBC’s Warren Moran shared that he witnessed “at least three injured” individuals being taken from the scene. Additionally, a helicopter was deployed to assist with evacuating potentially injured pedestrians. Subsequently, emergency services reported that 27 people were transported to the hospital, with “many” receiving treatment at the site.
After the situation was brought under control, police issued a statement confirming the arrested individual is a local 53-year-old man:
We urge individuals not to speculate about the circumstances surrounding tonight’s event on Water Street in Liverpool’s city center.
We can verify that the arrested individual is a 53-year-old white British man from the Liverpool area.
Comprehensive investigations are ongoing to determine the events leading to the collision.
The U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer commented on the incident, calling it “horrific” and praised emergency services for their prompt response.
The scenes in Liverpool are horrific — my thoughts are with all those injured or impacted.
I’d like to express gratitude to the police and emergency services for their swift and ongoing management of this distressing situation.
I’m receiving regular updates and asking that we allow the police…
— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) May 26, 2025
Liverpool FC issued a statement indicating they are in touch with local officials regarding the incident.
We are in direct communication with Merseyside Police concerning the incident on Water Street, which occurred towards the end of the trophy parade earlier this evening.
Our thoughts and prayers are with those impacted by this serious situation.
We will continue to offer… pic.twitter.com/xreiSqiEnL
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) May 26, 2025
As of Monday evening, police had cordoned off a significant area of Liverpool’s city center.
At around 10:45 p.m. local time, Merseyside Police’s Assistant Chief Constable Jenny Sims, alongside David Kitchen from the North West Ambulance Service and Chief Fire Officer Nick Searle, held a press conference to update the public.
Sims confirmed that 27 individuals, including four children, were taken to the hospital. She noted that two of these individuals had serious injuries.
Furthermore, “many people received treatment at the scene but did not need hospital care,” while others are believed to have sought treatment independently afterward, Sims stated.
She emphasized: “The vehicle came to a stop at the scene, and a 53-year-old white British man from the Liverpool area has been arrested. We believe he is the driver.”
“It’s important that people refrain from speculating and spreading misinformation on social media. We consider this an isolated incident and are not currently searching for any other suspects. The incident is not being categorized as terrorism.”
Searle also mentioned that fire teams had successfully rescued four individuals, including a child, from beneath the vehicle.
Incident Footage
A few spectators captured the crash on video during the parade. One such clip can be found here, but viewer discretion is advised due to the potentially graphic nature of the content.
Vehicle Information
The vehicle involved appeared to be a gray minivan, partially shown in footage as police attempted to stop it.
Bravery is not the absence of fear.
Bravery is facing your fears and moving forward regardless.Officers acted swiftly and surrounded a car that drove into pedestrians in Liverpool.
Honor above all else except for integrity pic.twitter.com/R680ScK9MK
— FireNFury (@chaos6esu) May 26, 2025
Suspect Information
Merseyside police confirmed the apprehension of a 53-year-old man from the Liverpool area. His name has not yet been released, but it was confirmed during a news conference that he was believed to be operating the vehicle.
Assistant Chief Constable Jenny Sims remarked: “We believe this is an isolated occurrence, and we’re not seeking any other suspects connected to it. The incident is not classified as terrorism.”
Injury Report
Police indicated that as of approximately 11 p.m. local time, no deaths had been reported. However, they confirmed that 27 individuals were hospitalized, with two suffering from serious injuries.
Parade Attendance
Though the precise number is unconfirmed, ITV News reported that “hundreds of thousands” attended Liverpool’s trophy parade. The event effectively paralyzed the city centre as fans celebrated, especially excited due to the fact that the club’s last Premier League title came during a time when large gatherings were discouraged due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Although the parade was over by the time of the accident, throngs of fans remained in the streets of Liverpool, continuing their celebrations.
