A car plowed into pedestrians in Derby city center on Saturday night. Seven people were injured on Friar Gate, a street full of restaurants and bars popular with students. It was around 9.30pm when a black Suzuki Swift hit the pedestrians. Police arrived at the scene and the suspect was apprehended seven minutes later on a bridge towards Pride Park after fleeing the scene in a car.
Who is the suspect?
Derbyshire Police have arrested a 36-year-old man from Derby, originally from India, who has been living in the UK for several years. He is being held for attempted murder, dangerous driving and grievous bodily harm with intent. The police continue to question him.
Anti-terrorist police have joined the investigation
Anti-terrorist police joined the investigation, but authorities said this was standard procedure for an incident of this type. The incident is not being treated as an act of terrorism at this time. The police emphasized that there is no longer any risk to the population.
What witnesses saw on Friar Gate
Mark Lucas, who lives in the area, went down the street with his son to find people lying on the pavement surrounded by police and ambulances. “Nobody knew what happened. We didn’t know a car ran over people,” he said. He saw paramedics tending to two people who appeared to be seriously injured and not moving. Eren Celebi, a 23-year-old employee at an area store, heard “screams and shouts” while serving customers. When he got outside, he saw people lying on the pavement and road, others running and trying to call an ambulance.
The victims are alive
All seven victims have serious injuries, but police have confirmed that none are in danger. Authorities felt the need to clarify that, “despite online speculation, no one died in this incident.” The car, visibly damaged, was driven from Friar Gate to Ashbourne Road, then Bridge Street, Lodge Lane, Garden Street, Duffield Road and on to St Alkmund’s Way, where it was finally stopped. Police are asking for the public’s help if they have video footage of the incident or images of the car before and after the impact.
“You don’t expect something like this to happen in your town”
Derby is a city with a strong community spirit. People passing by the scene of the incident on Sunday were visibly shocked. Catherine Atkinson, Labor MP for Derby North, said: “You don’t expect something like this to happen in your town, in your home.” He announced that he would raise the issue of cars used as weapons in Parliament and call for a review of the regulations, amid an increasing number of such incidents. Steve Hassall, leader of the Conservative group on the local council, called for a security assessment of central areas and controlled access to certain parts of the city.
The city stopped
Friar Gate was closed from Saturday night until Sunday afternoon. Inside the cordon, debris, shoes, clothes remained on the asphalt, and forensics in white suits photographed every detail. Bars and restaurants in the area remained closed. O’Dwyers Bar posted a message on social media: “No one should have to go through something like this on a night out. Derby is a community and today we are together.” Prayers were held for the victims at Derby Cathedral and in churches across the city. The Bishop of Repton, Malcolm Macnaughton, said the incident had “shook us all” and called for peace and healing for the town.
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