A lunatic rammed his car into soccer fans who were celebrating Liverpool’s Premier League title on May 26, injuring 79 people, according to Merseyside Police.
The incident took place as fans lined the streets of Merseyside to celebrate Liverpool’s title, its second Premier League Title in the history of the club. Several people were taken to the local hospital for serious injuries. Thankfully, no one was killed in the mayhem.
According to witnesses, the driver of the car got involved in an argument with several fans. The man then drove through the crowd as he attempted to get away. Several pedestrians tried to punch out the windows of the man’s car, at which point the Merseyside Police detained the man on the scene.
Four people, including a child, had to be lifted from underneath the car after the incident, according to Merseyside Fire Chief Nick Searle. Around 20 people were treated at the scene for minor injuries.
“We ask the public to not speculate about the circumstances of this incident on social media at this time,” Liverpool’s mayor Steve Rotheram told the press during the press conference held later in the day.
According to the police, the suspect is a 53 year old man from the Liverpool area, who was detained on the scene by security. The man was also under the influence of illegal drugs and has been charged with attempted murder. However, the police don’t believe it to be a terrorist incident and have called the incident “isolated.”
Members of the community of English soccer have come together to share their thoughts. Former Liverpool Manager Jurgen Klopp posted on Instagram that he was “shocked and devastated.”
Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister of Britain said, “The whole country is with the city of Liverpool in this difficult time.”
Even Liverpool’s local rival Everton posted that they were “shocked and heartbroken to learn of the incident.”
The Merseyside Police are now investigating the incident and failures in security that may have caused this tragic incident to unfold.
