Merseyside Police have confirmed that seven people remain in hospital after a car ploughed through Liverpool F.C. fans parading in the street on Monday.
Thousands of Liverpool fans had joined the victory parade on Bank Holiday Monday to commemorate the team’s second Premier League win before tragedy struck.
The celebrations quickly turned to horror when a 53-year-old man from West Derby driving a Ford Galaxy rammed into revellers, leaving dozens of people injured.
On Wednesday, police revealed that the number of people impacted by the crash had risen from 65 to 79.
Local authorities also confirmed that they had been granted more time to interview the suspect, and he’ll remain in police custody until today.
In her latest statement, Detective Superintendent Rachel Wilson said: “I’m pleased to say that the number of people in hospital is reducing as they continue to recover from the awful incident.
“We continue to support those still receiving treatment and as part of our ongoing enquiries we are identifying more people who were injured.
“I want to reassure the public of Merseyside that detectives are making significant progress as we seek to establish the full circumstances that led to what happened.
Wilson added: “In addition, extensive CCTV enquiries are being carried out across the city to establish the movements of the car, a Ford Galaxy, before the incident took place.
The superintendent also encouraged anyone who was impacted by the attack but hasn’t come forward yet to reach out to investigating officers.
Since the horrific attack, police have confirmed that the suspect has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and driving under the influence of drugs.
Details about the ongoing investigation are still emerging, but here is what we know about the incident.
What happened in Liverpool?
On Monday night, just after 6pm, a car appeared to deliberately drive into a group of Liverpool supporters, hurting a total of 65 people—four of them children.
The incident happened while the official football team of Liverpool, including Golden Boot winner Mohamed Salah, were travelling through the city to celebrate their Premier League victory.
The Liverpool football team had paraded the trophy through the region in an open-top bus, where the crowd had gathered to see them.
The collision occurred approximately one mile (1.6 km) ahead of the 10-mile (16 km) parade's finish line.
It’s understood that the car was able to get past the temporary road block by tailing an ambulance attending to reports of a person suffering from a heart attack.
In videos that went viral on social media, the car was shown zigzagging through the swarm of supporters wearing Liverpool FC merchandise.
Shocking footage captured by eyewitnesses then shows the car hitting a number of people on Water Street, throwing them into the air.
Merseyside Police later confirmed they were called shortly after and rushed to the scene, where they stepped in as angry crowds started to rush toward the car.
In a statement, police confirmed that a “53-year-old white British man from the Liverpool area” was detained by the police, who stated they thought he was the driver of the vehicle.
Initial reports claimed that 65 people had been injured, many of whom were taken to nearby hospitals but then later discharged.
On Wednesday, police revealed that the number of people injured had increased, as more came forward to help with the investigation.
At the time of writing, seven people are still in hospital but they are all thought to be in a stable condition.
Was it a terrorist attack?
Far-right thugs and outspoken individuals were quick to accuse the attacker of being a terrorist on social media, but police quickly debunked this theory.
The tragic event is not being handled as a “terrorism case” according to the police, who also revealed that the driver was a white, British male.
Although police haven’t named the attacker, they have confirmed he was arrested for attempted murder, dangerous driving and driving under the influence of drugs.
Jenny Sims, temporary deputy chief constable, said in a statement: “We believe this to be an isolated incident, and we are not currently looking for anyone else in relation to it. The incident is not being treated as terrorism.”
During a news conference late on Monday, Liverpool City Council leader Liam Robinson said: “I would urge people not to speculate as to the motives behind this appalling incident and to allow Merseyside police to conduct their investigation.”
In its response, Liverpool FC said: “We are in direct contact with Merseyside Police regarding the incident on Water Street which happened towards the end of the trophy parade earlier this evening.”
Local rivals Everton joined in the tributes, adding: “Our thoughts are with all those who have been affected by this serious incident in our city.”
What did the witnesses say?
Les Winsper, a 55-year-old witness, described the events that transpired to The Guardian. He said: “People started banging on the (car) windows. Then they smashed the windows and he panicked and put his foot down.
“He then hit someone and that person has gone in the air and he's ploughed through the rest of them.
“I've never seen anything like it.”
Another witness claimed to have seen a car "speeding up" and colliding with pedestrians while out on a stroll with some friends.
The "car turned left, mounted pavement, come towards us and runs towards the buildings," Mike Maddra told the PA news agency.
He said “we got out the way and it was speeding up”. Mr Maddra stated that "it looked deliberate" and claimed to have witnessed two people being struck.
With cordons gradually being lifted around the scene, some Liverpool residents have left flowers and cards as well wishes to those impacted by the incident.
