Irish Liverpool fan's horror: 'Liverpool parade car nearly hit my family'
A shaken Irish Liverpool fan praised hero Scousers for pushing his family to safety as a car careered through crowds during the club's title parade.
Paul O'Brien travelled from his home in Ireland with his 11-year-old son Danny and his parents to celebrate the Reds' Premier League victory. They spent the day in Liverpool soaking up the party atmosphere before cheering their heroes as they paraded through the streets.
But their afternoon turned to horror when a vehicle hurtled through crowds of supporters on Water Street. Paul, 39, from Slane, County Meath, was returning to the family's hotel on nearby Dale Street when the carnage unfolded yesterday. He told how fellow Liverpool fans pushed him, his son and his parents Marie, 66, and Peter, 63, to safety.
'We were walking up the hill and the next thing we knew we could hear the car and then we were getting shoved out of the way of it,' he told the Mirror.
'Then it carried on through the crowd and you could hear 'thud, thud, thud' as it ran people over. A paramedic on a bike was hit too. There were screams, it was horrible.'
Paul added: 'If it wasn't for those amazing Liverpool fans I dread to think what would have happened. We may not have been here today. It had been such a fantastic day, full of joy and celebrations, so for it to end the way it did is so sad.'
Almost 50 people, including four children, were left injured after the people carrier shockingly ploughed into revellers celebrating Liverpool's Premier League win shortly after 6pm on Water Street. A total of 20 people were treated for injuries at the scene, while a further 27 were taken to hospital. North West Ambulance Service confirmed two people have been seriously injured, including one child.
A 53-year-old white British man was arrested in relation to the incident and remains in custody, Merseyside Police said. A spokesperson said: "We would ask people not to speculate on the circumstances surrounding tonight's incident on Water Street in Liverpool city centre. We can confirm the man arrested is a 53-year-old white British man from the Liverpool area. Extensive enquiries are ongoing to establish the circumstances leading up to the collision."
The force added that the incident is not being treated as terrorism. Police were seen standing guard outside a number of tents at Water Street on Tuesday morning. One was covering the vehicle that injured dozens of revellers, while a huge cordon remained in place right down onto Dale Street. The area was left littered with debirs, abandoned belongings, and broken glass from the collision.
Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer labelled the incident as "appalling", adding: "My thoughts are with all those injured or affected [...] Liverpool stands together and the whole country stands with Liverpool."
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