Peter Cunningham woke up to a nightmare when his phone would not stop buzzing. Friends, cousins, even a neighbor he had not spoken to in months, were all asking the same frantic question: had he driven a car into the crowds celebrating Liverpool’s title win? The 54-year-old dad of three from Huyton had never set foot in the city Centre that Monday evening, yet his face and name were suddenly splashed across social media posts claiming he was behind the wheel of the Ford Galaxy that left almost eighty people hurt on Water Street, reported the Mirror.
The confusion began after Merseyside Police confirmed a 53-year-old white British man from West Derby had been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, dangerous driving, and driving while unfit through drugs. Somehow, an old photo of Peter was lifted from a Facebook page and falsely plugged into the unfolding drama, sparking a torrent of calls and messages. Speaking to the ECHO today, 28 May, he said: “I’m stressed out, I don’t need it all.
“It’s a bad thing that has happened, and the police need to do something about it and get his name out there. Other people’s names have been shared.”It’s nothing to do with me, I’m at work right now, and the man they arrested is in custody.”
Peter explains that he spent the evening in question at home, nowhere near the victory parade. He had not even watched the live coverage. Meanwhile, detectives believe the real driver crept past a roadblock by tailgating an ambulance that had been waved through to reach a man suffering a suspected heart attack. Once the Galaxy rolled onto the pedestrian-only stretch of Water Street, eyewitnesses say several fans tried to block its path. The driver then hit the accelerator and ploughed into the crowd, turning the street into chaos seconds after 6 pm.
In total, 79 people were counted as casualties. Fifty were taken to hospitals around the region, and by Tuesday afternoon eleven were still receiving treatment. Police stress that all remain in a stable condition and appear to be recovering well.
Back in Huyton, Peter was desperately trying to clear his name. “I was getting phone calls from family members and friends saying ‘what the hell is going on?’. These YouTubers and people on social media are just sharing it to make money.” He tracked down what he believes was the first account to post his picture and demanded it be removed. The page has since taken the post down, but not before the false claim raced across multiple platforms.
Peter’s ordeal highlights the speed with which misinformation now spreads. In the rush to break news, amateur sleuths published screenshots with zero checks, leaving an innocent man to field angry messages and worried relatives. It has also piled extra stress on Merseyside Police, who are already dealing with a major incident investigation. Officers continue to question the suspect and have confirmed he will remain in custody until at least Thursday while they gather more evidence.
For Peter, the damage has already been done. Even with the real suspect held, he fears his photograph could resurface whenever someone searches the story. Tonight, he just wants to switch off his phone and enjoy some peace with his kids, hoping the online world finally moves on from a mix-up that never should have happened.
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