Paramedic was ‘sent flying’ in Liverpool parade attack

A paramedic who was “sent flying” by a two-tonne car that plowed into a dense crowd at Liverpool’s Premier League victory parade has described how “adrenaline took over”.

James Vernon didn’t even hear the Ford Galaxy Titanium driven by 54-year-old Paul Doyle arrive before he rear-ended it on May 26.

Mr Vernon, who was deployed as a cycle paramedic with the North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) during the parade, suffered a heart attack as he set out to help a heart-attack patient.

Despite falling to the ground, he managed to fit the children into the back of an ambulance and rushed to the aid of many of Doyle’s 134 victims.

Doyle, of Burghill Road, Croxteth, Liverpool, will be sentenced on Monday after admitting 31 charges including causing GBH with intent, dangerous driving and causing affray.

Mr. Vernon was walking his bike in front of the ambulance to get to where the man had passed out in front of the Hooters bar on Water Street, which was packed with tens of thousands of people.

He said: “There were lots of people singing, lots of people chanting and the sirens were very close behind me, very, very loud.

“I would say we were making good progress, then suddenly I was hit from behind with a lot of force which sent me flying to the right.”

Mr Vernon said he went down into a gully and saw the car pass to his left.

“I suddenly thought I was in the middle of a terrorist incident,” he said.

After passing the ambulance, Doyle stopped and reversed into the middle of the road.

He said he then swung forward in a “gripping” motion, “throwing members of the public left and right.”

Mr Vernon activated the emergency function on his radio and shouted that he and other pedestrians were “crushed” on Water Street.

He and his colleague jumped into the back of the ambulance to take a “10-second breath” before deciding they needed to join the rescue effort.

“We both looked at each other and said ‘we need to help here, let’s go out and do our job’,” Mr Vernon said.

He described the scene they saw when opening the door as follows: “There were patients lying on the ground, baby carriages next to them, scarves on the ground, empty beer bottles, everything on the ground.

“There was screaming like crazy and people running in every direction you could imagine, but not towards the car.”

Fearing that a terrorist might still emerge from the vehicle, paramedics put six or seven children into the back of the ambulance.

“I wasn’t sure what the incident was outside,” he said.

“I knew there was a car. I knew the car ran over a lot of people, but I didn’t know what was going to happen at the time.”

Standing on the “twisted” frame of his bike to retrieve some medical supplies, Mr Vernon began to triage injured fans on the road, including some still trapped under the Ford Galaxy.

He said that while his “extensive” training began, including mass casualty incidents, he had never been caught before in the same incident he responded to.

“Adrenaline pretty much took over,” he said.

“I’ll be honest, I woke up the next day feeling very harsh, you know, and it very much brings to mind that force, that whiplash kind of thing.”

Mr Vernon said after more paramedics and police officers arrived at the scene, he was able to enter the makeshift casualty area at the Mowgli restaurant, where he was able to text his family and friends to let them know he was okay.

Asked for his reaction to Doyle’s guilty plea, he said: “I think the relief was immeasurable.

“It was like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders because I knew it was stopping me from going to the Crown Court. [as a witness]”And he has to go through that process and ultimately plead guilty to what happened that day.”