Incident in Water St Liverpool

I come from West Derby but it is quite a large area of Liverpool suburbs. We had friends in the crowd and they got away safely. I’ve followed this event with interest and I believe it when told that the car tailgated an ambulance on its way through to Water Street. I also believe that the police ran to the incident very bravely. Liverpool police I’ve always felt were used to unruly fans and incidents.

woodenspoon

Yes I thought the same some of those men were very aggressive. Maybe that’s why it’s taking the police longer to announce charges etc. I’d have been very afraid if it were me.

Hopefully, you wouldn't have ignored a no entry sign and driven towards crowds of pedestrians.

missdeke

I did wonder if the driver just panicked with the crowds attacking his car, I know he shouldn't have been there anyway but I think I may have panicked with those crowds around me like that.

The BBC video shows the sequence well and its not overdone
www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/c9dq6jj0l9do

Dickens Even though the police announced that the suspect was a white male from Liverpool, it didn't stop the conspiracy theorists. Posters on social media accused the police of lying and covering up the real identity. There were even some fake pictures posted, showing men with dark skin. Even though it was pointed out that the pictures were fakes, they acted as a catalyst for anti-immigrant rants. It seems everybody has his/her own theory from watching a few video clips. I find it quite disturbing that so many people are turning into vigilantes.

Yes I thought the same some of those men were very aggressive. Maybe that’s why it’s taking the police longer to announce charges etc. I’d have been very afraid if it were me.

Chazz01

I notice the police were very quick to identify the ethnicity of the driver and that he was under the influence.
Wonder how the news would have been controlled IF the driver had not been an indigenous individual?
The car drove into Water St, AFTER an ambulance had gone through the barrier to attend to a person who had had a suspected heart attack. No one was at the barrier to prevent other traffic.
The overzealous football fans took a dislike to the car being there and started pounding on the roof and windows. I don't know what I would have done if in the same position, with rowdy, Scouse football fans shouting, threatening, and thumping on my vehicle.
You see the videos where the fans attacked the vehicle, before the driver decided to try and escape. No doubt, in fear of his life.

I notice the police were very quick to identify the ethnicity of the driver and that he was under the influence.
Wonder how the news would have been controlled IF the driver had not been an indigenous individual?

According to the BBC, the police made the decision to identify the suspect ASAP in order to prevent the speculation that spread so quickly (and inaccurately) after the horrific slaughter of the young girls in Southport.

Indigenous or not, it is probably a good idea to make such identification a priority as a matter of course. It will not - if a perpetrator / suspect is an immigrant / asylum seeker - prevent any hostility, but it will prevent accusations of the police covering-up or trying to deceive the public. As they have been accused.

Such incidents are horrible enough without adding extra layers of conspiracy to the tragedy. Which I don't think really help anyone - especially the victims.

I haven't caught up with the latest news on this, but I hope those that were seriously injured (including children) are going to make a recovery.

... but I don't believe it's something that anyone affected can easily come to terms with, even those who were only slightly injured.

I did wonder if the driver just panicked with the crowds attacking his car, I know he shouldn't have been there anyway but I think I may have panicked with those crowds around me like that.

Thank goodness nobody was killed and the number of people remaining in hospital seems to be decreasing.

Incidentally, what's an "indigenous individual"? I didn't realise the UK still has tribes of Celts wandering around.

Chazz01 How do you know there was nobody at the barrier to stop other traffic? Did the person/people who removed the barrier just disappear? Have the police made any statement about this?

Are Scouse football fans any more intimidating than any other fans? How about chatting to Liverpool fans about Hillsborough or Paris? The fans were trying to stop the car.

It looks to me as though you have too much time on your hands and have been looking at the thousands of misleading posts on social media. How about waiting for an official announcement?

I notice the police were very quick to identify the ethnicity of the driver and that he was under the influence.
Wonder how the news would have been controlled IF the driver had not been an indigenous individual?
The car drove into Water St, AFTER an ambulance had gone through the barrier to attend to a person who had had a suspected heart attack. No one was at the barrier to prevent other traffic.
The overzealous football fans took a dislike to the car being there and started pounding on the roof and windows. I don't know what I would have done if in the same position, with rowdy, Scouse football fans shouting, threatening, and thumping on my vehicle.
You see the videos where the fans attacked the vehicle, before the driver decided to try and escape. No doubt, in fear of his life.

He was white British lived in Liverpool and in his 50s.
Not what you would expect a middle aged man to do. Quite frightening that there are people like this.

The whole incident is absolutely horrendous. I watched the news today and people were saying how shopkeepers and everyone there tried to help the injured.

I have only been to Liverpool once, many years ago, but I was struck then by the friendliness and good humour of the people. Bless them all, especially the folk still in hospital today.

karmalady

The footage also showed the immediate brave and strong response from the police on the ground

Hello Karmalady I haven't seen your name on Gn for a while, or perhaps I wasn't paying attention! I always value your contributions.

I’m thinking here of the tragic but freak case of the women who crashed into a school gathering not so long ago.

This case is being re-investigated because there are suspicions of a cover-up.

Granmarderby10 I know as much (or little) as anybody who has read the BBC (and a couple of other) reports (which is considerably less than people who rely on social media, so it appears).

The man hasn't yet been charged, but he was arrested on suspicion of driving while unfit through drugs (as one reason). I expect he'll be charged soon, but before then he'll be given a thorough medical examination, which might be why there's a delay in charging.

If there are any mitigating factors, such as epilepsy or a sudden heart attack, Merseyside Police will want to make sure that they know about it. The police will want to make sure their case sticks and any half-decent defence lawyer would make use of any shortcuts on medical examinations.

At the moment, the public knows no more than the police have announced. Speculation about "what if" is pointless. I prefer to let the law deal with the matter. I'm not sure whether that makes me hopelessly "woke" or one of the "hang 'em and flog 'em" brigade.

LOUISA1523 I meant was the driver suffering from a heart attack/epileptic fit/ some kind of dementia and confusion then panicked.
I’m thinking here of the tragic but freak case of the women who crashed into a school gathering not so long ago.

But if under the influence then of course it is a deliberate decision that is guaranteed to put others at risk.
I haven’t read or watched any news since lunchtime as reports seemed to be on a repetitive loop.
I do hope the children in particular are able to pull through and recover from this experience without long term pain and trauma.

Cold

Sarnia

I hope the Government take this opportunity to make driving under the influence of drink and drugs, zero tolerance. The sentences need to be increased too. At the moment death caused by dangerous driving carries a maximum of 14 years which is nowhere near long enough. A vehicle is a very dangerous weapon in the wrong hands.
It seems a miracle to me that nobody was killed but those dreadful memories will live long in those poor peoples memories.

The maximum sentence for causing death by dangerous driving was increased to up to life imprisonment for offences caused after June 28 2022

When did life mean life in our justice system? Some recent sentences for causing death by dangerous driving haven't even reached double figures.

Granmarderby10

None of us know yet do we? whether this horrible incident was a result of a medical affliction or a deliberate criminal act.

Oh but I think we do.
Driving under the influence of drugs, aiming at pedestrians (as could be seen from the overhead footage) attempted murder.

No excuses .

Granmarderby10

None of us know yet do we? whether this horrible incident was a result of a medical affliction or a deliberate criminal act.

We do know the grounds of his arrest, as relayed by the police Granmaderby10.

‘The suspect in yesterday's incident remains in police custody, and was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.
Detective Chief Superintendent Karen Jaundrill adds he was also detained on suspicion of dangerous driving and driving while unfit through drugs.
"We have arrested a 53-year-old man from West Derby on suspicion of attempted murder, dangerous driving offences and driving whilst unfit through drugs," she says.
"He remains in custody where he is being interviewed."
From Sky News.

The man arrested was not the guilty party
I will say no more - Probably best, karmalady.

karmalady

The man arrested was not the guilty party, I will say no more.

Course he was 🙄

Granmarderby10

None of us know yet do we? whether this horrible incident was a result of a medical affliction or a deliberate criminal act.

Medical affliction?

the police charges were as above

"The 53-year-old, from West Derby, an area of the city, has also been arrested on suspicion of driving while unfit through drugs and dangerous driving offences"

So he must have been tested for being under the influence of illegal drugs which can alter driving and people awareness substantially.

None of us know yet do we? whether this horrible incident was a result of a medical affliction or a deliberate criminal act.