Gary and Jane Barnes believe they escaped with their lives on Monday after making a crucial decision while enjoying the Liverpool FC victory parade that took them out of harm’s way
A couple caught in the chaos of the Liverpool FC parade incident have told how they made a key move that they believed “saved their lives”.
Gary and Jane Barnes were among the thousands of people lining the streets on Monday as Liverpudlians celebrated the triumphant return of the city’s newly crowned champions. The 70 and 72-year-old were caught in the chaos that evening after, at around 6pm, a car ploughed into crowds on Water Street, striking 47 people, with 27 people – including four children – sent to hospital. But crucially, the couple escaped the moment of the collision thanks to one key spur-of-the-moment decision.
READ MORE: Liverpool parade: What we know so far about car’s movements moments before crash
Speaking to the PA news agency, Gary said he and his wife decided to use the toilet in a nearby Premier Inn moments before the car struck the crowd on Monday evening.
When they re-emerged from the bargain hotel, all hell had broken loose, and Gary believes their decision may have saved their lives. He said: “We went off to go to the toilet fortunately and we came back and it just happened. We didn’t see it happening. We didn’t know what was happening.
“But going inside that toilet could have saved our lives. That’s genuinely how we feel after seeing all the horror.” Jane added: “A man came over and said that a car had just run over somebody and it was behind us. The police were here.”
Emergency services arrived moments after the smash was reported to police, with paramedics treating people at the scene and police arresting the driver of the car. Videos capturing the chaos show Liverpudlians crowding around the vehicle, a black Ford Galaxy, in a bid to prevent further casualties after four people were dragged underneath.
No one has died, with Merseyside Police adding during a conference on Tuesday that the 11 people who remain in hospital for treatment are in a stable condition and appear to be steadily recovering.
Assistant Chief Constable Jenny Sims added that a 53-year-old man from Liverpool’s West Derby area has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and dangerous driving while unfit through drugs. Gary and Jane have heaped praise on emergency services, saying they were “fantastic” and said two police officers in an unmarked car “ran like hell” to the scene.
Gary said: “The police were fantastic. Two guys got out of an unmarked police car and they ran like hell. They were parked next to us and dived out of the car and ran to the scene.”
Jane added: “The ambulances were coming. Luckily, all the police were there because there were so many after the parade so they were on it straight away.” The couple were initially left in shock but now it’s “hit her more.” She said: “It’s hit me more this morning, because I’m thinking about it. There’s kids involved which is terrible.”