Liverpool Parade Crash Injures Many

London, May 27 (AP) A British man was taken into custody after he drove his minivan into a parade of Liverpool soccer fans celebrating their team's Premier League Championship victory on Monday, injuring nearly four dozen people.

Authorities confirmed that the 53-year-old suspect is believed to have acted alone in this incident, which is not being treated as an act of terrorism.

Tens of thousands of fans had gathered to participate in the hours-long procession under tight security along a 16 km route.

Here's what we know so far about the crash:

What happened? A man drove his car into a crowd of soccer fans in the northwestern English city, according to authorities. Emergency vehicles and an air ambulance quickly arrived at the scene to attend to the injured.

Paradegoer Peter Jones recounted hearing the car crash into the crowd and seeing at least half a dozen people down on the road. Another paradegoer, Harry Rashid, mentioned that the car initially stopped after hitting some people but continued moving after its windows were smashed by attendees who charged towards the vehicle. Merseyside Police are investigating the circumstances leading up to the incident.

Who was affected? Nearly four dozen people sustained injuries, including four children. Twenty-seven were admitted to the hospital, with two individuals suffering from serious injuries. Additionally, twenty others received treatment for minor injuries on-site, as per authorities. Firefighters had to rescue four individuals who were trapped beneath the vehicle.

Why were fans celebrating? Liverpool fans were out in force to celebrate their team's Premier League soccer championship, marking their record-tying 20th top-flight title. This recent victory ties them with rival Manchester United in terms of league titles won.

The team's previous league title was secured in 2020, but pandemic restrictions at the time prevented fans from celebrating publicly. Monday's parade wound through the streets, undeterred by rainy weather, with fans dancing and waving scarves as Liverpool players rode atop two buses.

Liverpool clinched the championship title by defeating Tottenham last month, completing their historic season. (AP) RHL RHL

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