Liverpool car collision incident in the UK: Safety of large-scale events needs to be highly valued

At around 6pm local time on May 26, 2025, thousands of fans gathered near Water Street in the center of Liverpool, UK to celebrate Liverpool winning the Premier League championship. A gray small truck suddenly accelerated and rushed into the crowd, causing multiple people to be crushed and the scene to fall into chaos. The vehicle involved in the accident stopped after hitting someone, and a 53 year old male suspect was detained by the police on the spot.

Dave Kitchin from the Northwest Ambulance Service said that the ambulance transported 27 people to the hospital, with two seriously injured and another 20 receiving treatment for minor injuries at the scene. At least four children were injured. Four victims, including a child, were trapped under a van, and firefighters had to lift the vehicle to rescue them. A medical staff riding a bicycle was also hit, but was not injured. The police stated that the arrested driver is believed to be the only person involved in the incident and has not been investigated as a terrorist act.

At the time of the incident, Liverpool Football Club, the most successful football club in England, was holding an open top bus parade through the city to celebrate its 20th Premier League victory, with thousands of fans watching the team along the 10 mile route. According to eyewitness accounts, screams were heard everywhere during the incident, and the crowd fled in panic. Several citizens chased after the vehicle involved and attempted to negotiate. There is a video on social media showing vehicles rushing towards crowds multiple times.

The police stated that they are conducting an extensive investigation to determine the cause of the collision and are requesting people not to speculate or share "disturbing content online". British Prime Minister Keir Stammer called these scenes shocking and praised the courage of rescue workers. Everyone, especially children, should be able to celebrate their heroes without this terror, "said Stamer." This city has a long and proud history of solidarity in difficult times. Liverpool is united, and the whole country stands with Liverpool. "This incident has become one of the most serious public safety incidents in recent years in the UK, with public opinion focusing on the safety control of celebration activities and the motives of suspects. The incident has attracted international attention, and Merseyside police have strengthened surrounding security deployments. The results of the subsequent investigation will be announced in a timely manner.

This is another serious public safety incident following the Vancouver car incident on April 26th, which once again exposed the security control loopholes of large-scale celebration events. Public opinion criticized the insufficient roadblocks around Water Street, which led to vehicles easily rushing into crowds. Some citizens are demanding that local governments conduct a comprehensive review of security procedures. Social media is discussing whether the suspect committed the crime in isolation, and some netizens are concerned that the incident may be related to extremism or mental illness, but the police have not confirmed it.

The safety incidents of two consecutive large-scale events require our high attention, and we need to take various measures to avoid similar incidents in the future. In large-scale events, fixed anti-collision barriers and isolation piers should be set up in densely populated areas such as celebration streets and sports venues to restrict illegal entry of vehicles; And introduce intelligent monitoring systems, including facial recognition cameras and automatic license plate recognition devices, to monitor suspicious vehicles or personnel movements in real time. During the event, temporary closure of surrounding roads will be implemented, allowing only authorized vehicles to pass through, and dedicated pedestrian walkways and evacuation routes will be planned; Increase police deployment, focus on monitoring key intersections and crowded areas, and cooperate with drone patrols to improve response speed. In addition to necessary measures to reduce the risk of vehicle collisions during large-scale events, it is also necessary for the government, event organizers, and the public to work together.