BBCA man from Northern Ireland who was struck by a car at a Liverpool Football Club parade has said his first thought was trying to find his girlfriend.
Jack Trotter, from Newtownards, County Down, and his girlfriend Abbie Gallagher were hit by the car as it drove into fans on Water Street, in Liverpool.
It happened at about 18:00 BST on Monday as thousands of Liverpool FC fans gathered in the city centre for the Premier League victory parade.
“The first thought that I got was: ‘Where’s Abbie? I need to find Abbie. Where’s Abbie?’ You know she could be anywhere at this rate and lucky enough she was screaming my name and I found her,” Mr Trotter told the BBC.
Mr Trotter was taken to hospital by ambulance and kept in overnight.
He has sustained injuries to his back and leg and is now walking with crutches.
Mr Trotter described the day, up until the incident, as “outstanding”.
“It was just packed – Liverpool fans just singing from nine o’clock when we got the train right until obviously the accident happened,” he told the BBC.
“With what happened, I’ve never went from euphoria to zero real, real quick, if that makes sense.”
He added that when he was hit he “didn’t actually feel initial pain” due to the adrenaline.
“And then just as soon as that sort of wore off I realised: ‘OK, there’s something wrong here’, the pain started settling in and then I couldn’t walk.”
PA MediaMs Gallagher told the BBC that the couple had had a brilliant day, celebrating Liverpool’s Premier League win.
“Then to see a car coming towards you I just was screaming, you don’t know what to think, what to do,” she said.
“And all I remember is the car being there.
“I was towards the driver’s side and Jack was on the passenger side when the car was coming at us.
“I put my hands on the bonnet to save myself and I shoved myself off the car.
“I just remember going: ‘Where is Jack?’ and I was screaming, hysterically crying and all I hear is: ‘I’m here, I’m here’.
“It was a good five minutes later until I found Jack, and I just saw him and we hugged each other.”
More to follow.
