By John Boston
A day of joy and celebration for hundreds of thousands of Liverpool fans turned to one of shock and horror on Monday after a car ploughed into a crowd of people following the Reds’ Premier League title parade, injuring almost 50 people, two seriously.
The driver – a 53-year-old white British man – was arrested, although police said they were not treating the incident as terrorism.
The incident took place on Water Street about a mile from the end of the parade.
Ramming ‘looked deliberate’
Stunned witnesses described a scene of chaos as the car mounted the pavement and appeared to speed up as it hit pedestrians on both sides of the street.
One witness told the PA news agency “it looked deliberate”, with another adding he could “hear the bumps” as the driver rammed spectators.
Nick Searle, Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service chief fire officer, said four people, including a child, were trapped under the car, and they were rescued by firefighters.
Speaking to the BBC on Tuesday, Liverpool City Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram underlined just how serious Monday’s incident was.
He said: “The actual incident in Water Street will live with those people for all the wrong reasons, and that’s where we have to really focus our minds.
“There are still four people who are very, very ill in hospital and we are hoping of course that they pull through very, very quickly.”
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Country stands with Liverpool: PM
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer also sent his thoughts to the community.
He told broadcasters: “Liverpool stands together and the whole country stands with them.”
Meanwhile, Liverpool chief executive Billy Hogan added on the club’s website: “This weekend was one of celebration, emotion and joy spread across the city in our entire fan base, and it ended in unimaginable scenes of distress with this appalling incident.
“I’d like to pay tribute to our emergency services and partner agencies – Merseyside Police, North West and St John Ambulance Services, and Merseyside Fire and Rescue – who dealt with the incident, and now our hospital staff across the city who are dealing with those who are injured, including four children.”
One million line the streets for Reds
Monday evening’s events were in stark contrast to the scenes earlier in the day when an estimated one million people lined the streets and found every possible vantage point to acclaim the newly-crowned champions on their open-top bus parade of the city.
Clouds of red smoke choked the air as delighted supporters endured miserable weather and – for those at the end of the parade route in Liverpool city centre an hours-long wait – to give Arne Slot’s team a raucous welcome.
Reflecting on the scenes, Slot was in no doubt where the day ranked in his football career.
“By far the number one, far more than you could expect or dream of maybe,” he told Liverpoolfc.tv. “I won a few things before but this cannot compare with anything.”
Midfielder Curtis Jones agreed with his manager.
The Scouser said: “Unbelievable. It’s my second title but this one feels more special as I’ve played more of a bigger role in this.”
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Shameeka Voyiya 
Newsjustnews writers 
Ren Azrack Escosio