NewsHail
27 May 2025
Police in Liverpool acted fast after a car hit a crowd during a football parade. They said the driver was a 53-year-old white British man. This happened less than two hours after the crash.
Many people had already started sharing rumors online. Some said the crash was a terrorist attack. The police gave the facts early to stop false stories from spreading.
This is a big change from how they handled a case last year. In Southport, a man stabbed three girls. People spread false news online saying he was a Muslim migrant. He was actually born in the UK. That case led to riots across the country.
Police now know that waiting too long can make things worse. Rumors can grow fast on social media. That’s why they moved quickly this time.
Assistant Chief Constable Jenny Sims said the crash was not a terror attack. She asked people not to guess what happened. She also told people not to share upsetting videos.
Experts say it was unusual for police to share the driver’s race and nationality so soon. But it helped stop hate groups from spreading lies. Former police leaders said this move helped keep people calm.
Local leaders said it was the right thing to do. They praised the police for acting fast.
Some worry that police may not be able to share such details in future cases. Each case is different. Sometimes giving out facts early can hurt a future trial. The law limits what police can say before a court case starts.
Even so, this time it helped stop fear and false claims. Many people were hurt in the crash, but no one died. Two people, including a child, were badly injured.
Police are still looking into why the crash happened. Some think it may have been road rage. More will be known after the full investigation.
