A LIVERPOOL fan from Inverness says he had no words to describe the horrific scenes of a car ploughing into a crowd of people during Liverpool FC’s Premiership title victory parade which he attended.
Iain Mackintosh (centre) pictured with Liverpool player Kostas Tsimikas at Anfield on Sunday.
Iain Mackintosh was in Liverpool on Monday to watch the team parade the English Premiership title through the streets of the city.
However, the celebrations in the city stopped when after 6pm on Water Street, a car collided with several members of the crowd.
It was reported by emergency services that a total of 27 people were taken to hospital and a further 20 were treated at the scene. Two people, including one of them children, have sustained injuries deemed to be serious.
Merseyside Police said in a press conference on Monday night that a 53-year-old white British man from the Liverpool area was arrested and believe him to be the driver of the vehicle.
It was estimated over 500,000 people attended the celebrations in Liverpool on Monday as the trophy was paraded on an open-top bus on a 16km route.
Mackintosh (61), who runs Ardtower Caravan Park at Westhill and is also a scaffold contractor, went to the parade on Monday as well as the Liverpool v Crystal Palace game at Anfield on Sunday.
He and his group of friends were not near the area where the collision with fans took place as they were standing near the end of the parade route.
He only heard the news as he was driving home for work afterwards.
Before the incident took place, he described the party atmosphere in the city as the best he had ever experienced at a parade and was left shocked by what happened.
He said: “I never saw anything of the car incident. I parked at one my friend’s factories and drove off after the parade. I wasn’t in the main city centre. I was standing at Leeds Street at the top of the strand.
“I first heard it about it on the news when I was driving up the road at 8pm, I was stunned by what had gone on.
“I have been at parades before and I wanted to go to this one for the experience.
“Before the incident, I would have said it was the best parade I have ever been to and it was incredible the amount of people who were there.
“We will find out why it happened, it dampened a big party atmosphere in the city on Monday.
“The atmosphere before what happened on Monday, and at the game on Sunday was amazing, the best I have experienced. But there are no words to describe what happened on Monday night.”
Mr Mackintosh has been a Liverpool fan since 1971 and makes regular trips from Inverness to watch the Reds in Premiership and cup competitions.
He was at Liverpool on Sunday for their final match of the season against Crystal Palace and managed to get a picture with defender Kostas Tsimikas.
He said: “I rarely miss a game at Liverpool, I think I only missed two games all of last season.
“I haven’t missed any games in Europe involving Liverpool for the last 15 years.
“I think I have been to 10 finals with Liverpool and I have not missed a final involving Liverpool at Wembley since 1982.
“Driving home and hearing that news was awful. The parade was fantastic before that happened.“
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