Latest news with #HarryRashid
Fox Sports
5 days ago
- Fox Sports
Liverpool soccer parade suspect still in custody, wounded number 'nearly 80'
The driver suspected of attempted murder for plowing into a crowd of Liverpool soccer fans celebrating their team's Premier League championship was ordered held an additional day for questioning, police said Wednesday. Seven people remained hospitalized in stable condition, as the number of wounded increased to nearly 80 people, Merseyside Police said. That number has nearly doubled since Monday as police learned of additional injuries. The city had been celebrating Liverpool's record-tying 20th title when the driver turned down a street that was closed to traffic and rammed into a sea of fans, transforming a day of joy into a catastrophe. Police said the 53-year-old British man in custody is also suspected of being high on drugs and driving dangerously. They believe he dodged a roadblock by following an ambulance that was rushing to treat someone of a suspected heart attack. The driver has not been identified, which is typical in Britain when a suspect has not been charged with a crime. Police had to get an extension to hold the man longer than 48 hours and will have to either charge him with a crime by Thursday evening or set him free. A video on social media appeared to show a gray minivan strike at least one pedestrian and then veer into a larger crowd of people, carving a path through the group and pushing bodies along the street like a plow before coming to a stop. Harry Rashid, who was at the parade with his wife and two young daughters, said the car began ramming people about 10 feet (3 meters) away from him. "It was extremely fast," Rashid said. "Initially, we just heard the pop, pop, pop of people just being knocked off the bonnet of a car." Rashid said after the car struck its initial victims, it came to a halt and the crowd charged the vehicle and began smashing windows. "But then he put his foot down again and just plowed through the rest of them, he just kept going," Rashid said. "It was horrible. And you could hear the bumps as he was going over the people." Rashid said it looked deliberate and he was in shock and disbelief. "My daughter started screaming and there were people on the ground," he said. "They were just innocent people, just fans going to enjoy the parade." The Associated Press contributed to this report. recommended Get more from English Premier League Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
Daily Mirror
6 days ago
- Daily Mirror
What we know so far about car's movements moments before Liverpool parade crash
Police believe the car that hit pedestrians during Liverpool's Premier League victory parade last night followed an ambulance after a road block was temporarily lifted The driver who allegedly crashed into a crowd at Liverpool's victory parade on Monday evening is believed to have followed an ambulance responding to an emergency, police said. During a press conference on Tuesday, Merseyside Police said they believe the suspect, driving a Ford Galaxy car, got access to Water Street in the city centre after the road block was temporarily lifted to allow an ambulance to reach a member of the public who was having a suspected heart attack. The force insisted that alongside event organisers, it had prepared for "all contingencies" and had implemented "road closures to protect pedestrians" ahead of the parade. Merseyside Police Assistant Chief Constable Jenny Sims said there was "no intelligence" to suggest such an incident would take place, while stressing the crash is not being treated as terrorism. Earlier today, the Mirror obtained CCTV footage filmed from a mobile phone shop which shows the moment a Ford people carrier tries to squeeze through crowds of football supporters moments before accelerating down Water Street, hitting multiple people. In the video, the car can be seen crawling slowly down the street as hundreds of people mill around it, emerging slightly in front of several others, travelling faster towards the city centre. People appeared to be at ease around the cars as they crawled through the centre, keeping their focus trained on the festivities before the car - minutes later - powered into dozens of people. Harry Rashid, 48, from Solihull, said he, his wife and two children watched the collision as it happened around 10ft away from them. The dad added the car had emerged from "right next to an ambulance" which was parked at the time. Mr Rashid said: "It emerged from just right next to an ambulance, which was parked up. This grey people carrier just pulled up from the right." He went on: "It was travelling south, down Water Street, straight towards the Strand, which is where the docks are." Merseyside Police Assistant Chief Constable Jenny Sims said: "The car stopped at the scene and a 53-year-old white British man from the Liverpool area was arrested. "We believe him to be the driver of the vehicle. What I can tell you is that 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 currently being treated as terrorism." In an update shared today, Ms Sims said: "It is believed the driver of the Ford Galaxy car involved in this incident was able to follow an ambulance onto Water Street after the road block was temporarily lifted so that the ambulance crew could attend to a member of the public who was having a suspected heart attack. As with many large events, with event organisers we planned for all contingencies and this included the implementation of road closures to protect pedestrians and an armed policing presence was also in place throughout the day. "There was no intelligence to suggest an incident of this nature would take place, and as we previously stated, the incident is not being treated as terrorism. An extensive investigation into the precise circumstances of the incident is ongoing and we continue to ask people not to speculate on the circumstances surrounding the incident and refrain from sharing distressing content online."
Sydney Morning Herald
6 days ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Car ploughs into crowd of soccer fans celebrating Liverpool's title win
Footage on social media also showed people lying on the road. A Reuters photographer saw emergency services carrying victims on stretchers to ambulances and debris scattered on the road. A tent was set up. 'It was extremely fast,' said Harry Rashid, who was with his wife and two young daughters as the car passed by them. 'Initially, we just heard the pop, pop, pop of people just being knocked off the bonnet of a car.' Rashid said the crowd charged the halted vehicle and began smashing windows. 'But then he put his foot down again and just ploughed through the rest of them, he just kept going,' Rashid said. 'It was horrible. And you could hear the bumps as he was going over the people.' 'My daughter started screaming, and there were people on the ground. They were just innocent people, just fans going to enjoy the parade.' Peter Jones, who had travelled from Isle of Man, said he heard the car smash into the crowd and saw at least half a dozen people down. 'We heard a frantic beeping ahead, a car flew past me and my mate, people were chasing it and trying to stop him, windows smashed at the back,' Jones said. 'He then drove into people, police and medics ran past us, and people were being treated on the side of the road.' Another witness, Sonny Singh, 40, told The Guardian that he saw an injured teenager and dozens of people run past him 'crying and angry' shortly after the crash. 'People were running, screaming … I saw a boy, probably about 15, holding his leg and bleeding. There were loads of people there,' he said. Police surrounded the vehicle – which the London Telegraph reported was a black Ford Galaxy people carrier – shortly afterwards. Other videos showed angry fans attempting to reach the driver. 'We would ask people not to speculate on the circumstances surrounding tonight's incident,' police said. 'We would ask people not to share distressing content online but to send the footage or information directly to us.' British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on X that the scenes were 'appalling' and he was being updated about the events. 'My thoughts are with all those injured or affected. I want to thank the police and emergency services for their swift and ongoing response to this shocking incident,' Starmer said. The team said on X it was in direct contact with police about the event. 'Our thoughts and prayers are with those who have been affected by this serious incident,' Liverpool FC said. Liverpool fans had come out in the tens of thousands to celebrate the team winning the Premier League this season for a record-tying 20th top-flight title. Its last league title came in 2020, but supporters were denied the chance to publicly celebrate due to restrictions in place during the COVID-19 pandemic. This time, scarf-and-flag-waving fans braved wet weather to line the streets and climb up traffic lights for a view of Liverpool's players, who were atop two buses bearing the words 'Ours Again'. The hours-long procession — surrounded by a heavy police presence — crawled along a 16-kilometre route and through a sea of red smoke and rain. Fireworks exploded from the Royal Liver Building in the heart of the city.
Irish Daily Mirror
6 days ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
New footage shows driver squeezing through crowd before ploughing into fans
Newly released CCTV footage, exclusively obtained by the Mirror, provides fresh insight into the terrifying events that unfolded in Liverpool last night. The video, captured by a mobile phone shop's surveillance system, shows a Ford people carrier attempting to navigate through throngs of football fans just moments before it sped down Water Street, striking numerous individuals and injuring nearly 50. The first emergency calls were made a mere two minutes later, with first responders providing immediate aid at the scene. The shocking incident has sent shockwaves throughout the UK and beyond, sparking queries about how the vehicle was able to access the street in the first place. The fresh CCTV footage depicts the car inching its way down the street amidst hundreds of pedestrians, slightly ahead of several other vehicles, as it picked up speed towards the city centre. The crowd seemed unperturbed by the slow-moving cars, their attention firmly on the ongoing celebrations, until the car suddenly ploughed into dozens of unsuspecting revellers. Speculation is rife that the car may have been trying to tail an ambulance when it veered onto Water Street, with multiple sources suggesting that the driver tailgating an ambulance is a plausible theory, reports the Mirror. The police are reportedly exploring this as a potential line of enquiry. Harry Rashid, 48, from Solihull, recounted how his family witnessed the crash just metres away from them. The father noted that the vehicle appeared suddenly from beside a stationary ambulance. Mr Rashid recounted: "It emerged from just right next to an ambulance, which was parked up. This grey people carrier just pulled up from the right and just rammed into all the people at the side of us." He described the car as moving "extremely fast" as it continued towards the city centre, saying: "It was travelling south, down Water Street, straight towards the Strand, which is where the docks are. It was extremely fast. Initially, we just heard the pop, pop, pop of people just being knocked off the bonnet of a car." During a press briefing on Monday evening, Merseyside Police Assistant Chief Constable Jenny Sims provided details about the driver and any possible motive, stating: "The car stopped at the scene and a 53-year-old white British man from the Liverpool area was arrested. "We believe him to be the driver of the vehicle. What I can tell you is that 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 currently being treated as terrorism." Local authorities are cautioning against additional conjecture regarding the incident, with Liverpool City Region mayor Steve Rotheram emphasising that such speculation is counterproductive. He commented: "There's a lot of speculation and that's part of the problem," the Liverpool City Region mayor remarked. "All those things caused real consternation, but the police acted very, very quickly to put paid to some of that speculation. I don't think it's worth us speculating on what might have happened to the driver." Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email.
Egypt Independent
6 days ago
- Egypt Independent
What we know about the car ramming that left dozens of Liverpool fans injured
CNN — Monday began as a day of celebration for many in Liverpool, the free-spirited, soccer-loving city in northwest England. It ended in panic and horror, after a car rammed crowds and injured dozens of people, including children. Police are now picking through the details of the disturbing incident in the center of the city, which saw the vehicle tear through fans celebrating the Liverpool soccer team's Premier League title win. An arrest was quickly made, but plenty of questions remain – including why a 53-year-old man drove into a throng of people. Here's what we know. What happened in Liverpool? Liverpool was awash with red on Monday, with hundreds of thousands of soccer fans cramming its streets to watch an open-top bus parade celebrating the club's 20th league title. But just after 6 p.m. local time (1 p.m. ET), concern began to trickle through the crowds. Merseyside Police said they had made an arrest, 'following reports a car had been in collision with a number of pedestrians on Water Street.' Footage posted online appeared to show the car surrounded by fans, with a confrontation between the driver and members of the crowd. The vehicle then sped up and veered from right to left across the street, another video showed, knocking people to the ground and causing a frenzied scrum before coming to a stop. 'It was extremely fast,' eyewitness Harry Rashid told Britain's PA Media news agency. 'Initially, we just heard the pop, pop, pop of people just being knocked off the bonnet of a car.' Liverpool's players celebrated atop a bus during Monday's celebration. Jon Super/AP How many were hurt? Over the coming hours, grim details began to emerge. Nearly 50 people were injured, including 27 who were taken to the hospital and another 20 treated at the scene, authorities said at a late-night news conference on Monday. Four people, including a child, were trapped under the car and needed rescuing by firefighters, Nick Searle, the Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service chief fire officer, added. And on Tuesday morning, Liverpool's metro mayor Steve Rotheram told the BBC: 'There are still four people who are very, very ill in hospital.' But there were no initial reports of fatalities, sparking hope that the worst-case outcome had been narrowly avoided. Who is the suspect? A 53-year-old White British man, believed to be the driver, was quickly arrested at the scene, according to Merseyside Police. The man is from Liverpool, police added. Officers described the collision as an 'isolated incident,' and said they were not looking for any other suspects and were not treating the incident as terrorism. Police keep fans away from the scene of the incident. Darren Staples/AFP/Getty Images Why did police release the suspect's ethnicity? Monday's incident, and the uncertainty that followed, brought back painful memories from another tragedy in the area; the horrific stabbing of three young girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance event last year in Southport, 20 miles north of Liverpool. Axel Rudakubana, 18, admitted killing the girls and stabbing 10 others in the attack, which stunned the country. He was sentenced to at least 52 years in prison in January. In the days of anger and confusion that followed the incident, misinformation about the suspect circulated online. Far-right groups promoted a false rumor that the attacker was a migrant, leading to days of race riots that saw crowds of agitators target and attack hotels housing asylum seekers. Those events may have informed the decision by Merseyside Police, which also responded to the Southport attacks, to quickly release the information that the suspect was White – an unusual step in the early hours of an investigation. 'I've never known a case like this before where they've given the ethnicity and the race of the individual who was involved in it (so quickly),' Dal Babu, the former Chief Superintendent of London's Metropolitan Police, told the BBC Tuesday. 'I think that was to dampen down some of the speculation from the far-right that sort of continues on X even as we speak.' But other factors may also be at play – including the fact that terrorism was quickly ruled out as a motive, removing some sensibilities around the information that is made public. How did the world of soccer react? The trophy parade was organized on a nationwide bank holiday, the day after Liverpool lifted the Premier League trophy following the competition's final round of matches on Sunday. In a short statement, the club said they were in contact with police and added: 'Our thoughts and prayers are with those who have been affected by this serious incident.' A swell of support also came from the rest of the football community. Everton, Liverpool's bitter on-field rivals, sent a message of support. Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher called it a 'devastating end to the day.' Officers carry away injured people following the collision. Paul Ellis/AFP/Getty Images And Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool's former manager who was on the open-top bus parade, said: 'My family and I are shocked and devastated. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those who are injured and affected. 'You'll never walk alone,' Klopp added, referencing the show tune famously covered by Liverpool group Gerry and Pacemakers in 1963, which is now synonymous with the team and sung by fans before every game. Its lyrics were immediately shared across social media on Monday after news of the incident emerged. What happens now? The scene of the collision was quickly secured. On Tuesday morning, fireworks and other debris littered the cordoned-off street, relics of a party that turned disastrous. 'Liverpool stands together and the whole country stands with Liverpool,' British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Tuesday. The investigation into the cause and circumstances surrounding the incident are ongoing. 'I've no idea how that car got there,' the area's MP Kim Johnson told reporters at the scene. 'Liverpool City Council and our emergency services are well versed in terms of supporting these types of large events and safeguarding the public with these types of events.'
