A car that began slowly nosing its way around pedestrians ended up ploughing into them – and a parade turned into panic.
This was a terrifying and chaotic incident. Here’s what Sky’s Data and Forensics team has been able to reconstruct: exactly what happened, and when.
This is what everyone was filling the streets to see – the Liverpool team bus on its victory parade.
Pic: Reuters
It began at 2.30pm on Bank Holiday Monday – here is the route the procession took.
And that meant closures. Here are all of the roads that were shut to traffic, or should have been.
Ahead of the parade, Liverpool City Council had strongly advised people not to drive – particularly in the city centre – and asked fans to walk instead.
This is the first time we see the car involved. It’s slowly moving west along Dale Street.
The timestamp on this footage appears not to have been corrected – reading 4.58pm – likely showing it was filmed at 5.58pm, adjusting for summertime hours.
We can see the car here again on that same street, before the worst happens.
Footage shows somebody closing a door on the right-hand side, but it is unclear if he was a passenger.
The driver reverses, hitting a nearby fan. The crowd reacts angrily – kicking and punching the vehicle.
Blocked to the front by a stopped car, the people carrier then reverses at speed towards a man attacking the back window.
The crowd then throws objects at the car as it speeds west along Dale Street.
Meanwhile, the man reversed into earlier chases the car – smashing the back window with a folding chair.
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Dale Street turns into Water Street – and less than 100 yards later, on the junction with Rumford Street, police say a road block was in place.
But this was lifted for an ambulance, and the car was able to follow in behind – despite its already erratic driving and multiple altercations with the surrounding crowd.
After this is when the most damage was done.
This video shows the car at a stop on Water Street, with an ambulance close behind. The crowd attacks the car while nearby police attempt to intervene.
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CCTV shows moment before Liverpool collision
It accelerates, hitting pedestrians.
The car then swerves right into a crowd of people, before swerving left again and coming to a stop.
If we cross reference the various videos to maps of the street, we can see the car covers 40m (131ft) in nine seconds – that means an average speed of 10mph – fast enough to inflict critical injuries.
It finished here – with people seen trapped under the wheels.
Officers quickly surrounded the car as witnesses attempted to stop the driver, who was eventually detained by police.
Afterwards, bystanders were seen walking down the road in shock.
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Moment car drives into crowds in Liverpool
It’s only a short stretch of road. But this was a bank holiday, and a big occasion. About one million people came to watch the parade – there were dense crowds everywhere.
Police said emergency services responded within “a matter of seconds”.
But questions will now focus on how the suspect was able to drive along at least two streets crowded with people – coming into contact with them and causing casualties – without being stopped.
