Paramedic 'struck with almighty force' in Liverpool Parade crash before rushing to help victims

Jay Vernon has been speaking ahead of the sentencing of Paul Doyle.

A paramedic who was hurt when a man ploughed his car into hundreds of football fans has spoken of how he was "struck with almighty force" before rushing back to help others.

Jay Vernon, 34, was not meant to have been on duty when Paul Doyle drove his car into Liverpool FC fans celebrating their club’s title win in the city on 26 May.

Jay, from Aigburth, Liverpool, had been on shift as a cycle response lead to get pedal bikes with ambulance kit around the parade event in the city centre.

But, within hours, he found himself caught up in traumatic scenes as Doyle, 54, from West Derby, drove his Ford Galaxy into the crowds on Water Street just after 6pm.

He said: "As I was walking in front of the ambulance, I was struck with almighty force from behind, which has then sent me flying over to the right hand side and I landed in the gutter on Water Street.

"It was at that point in my mind, I immediately thought 'I’m in the middle of a terrorist incident'. I was very vulnerable because I didn’t have a vehicle to sit in."

More than 130 people reported injuries, and 50 casualties required hospital treatment.

Doyle is to be sentenced for his crimes on 15 December after pleading guilty to all charges.

Speaking about his experiences on that day in May, Jay said it had begun as a day like any other and he was "part of the business as usual team".

He said: "It was felt that they had adequate resources and clinicians to dedicate the time to the Liverpool parade crowds and the bus itself, so we were predominantly in and around the city centre on the pedal bike."

Jay, himself a Liverpool fan, said there had been a "sea of red and white" in the city centre on that day which he described as being in high spirits.

He added: “There was a really good vibe around Liverpool and it was a really good day, despite the weather, up to around 6pm.”

The 34-year-old said he was drawn to Water Street after a call went out over the radio for additional resources after the bus had passed the area amid reports of a suspected cardiac arrest.

He said: "I made the decision to get off the pedal bike and I was pushing the bike itself.

"There was a police sergeant to my right and I was walking to the left-hand side to the passenger side of the ambulance.

"We were creating that space moving the crowds dispersing so that the ambulance could get down quite freely.

Moments later, disorder took hold and Jay, who is normally responding to those in need, became a victim.

Jay sustained cuts and grazes to his hands and legs and managed to radio through to colleagues to say he had been hit and there were multiple people injured around him.

The paramedic then sprung into action, helping those who had also been hit.

He said: "I obviously had a quick look around and made sure I was okay, as well as I could be, there were no broken bones or anything for me because obviously running high on adrenaline, you can quite easily miss your own injuries.

"I initially started attending to some patients. The vehicle then moved and it headed back down towards Water Street. It was at that moment in time then that I actually feared for my safety.

"I had passed some emergency messages via the emergency button but I felt really vulnerable."

Jay managed to take a moment to collect himself in the back of an ambulance before coming to the aid of people with young children to give them a safe space.

He described how as he headed back out to retrieve his equipment, people were shouting about casualties being trapped under Doyle’s car and off-duty medics had stepped in to help.

He said despite being hurt, his only focus was on going to support others. He said: "I think at the time, yes I was struck, yes I had some minor injuries but ultimately you just switch to ‘I’m there as a paramedic and I’m there to help people.’

"Ultimately, the adrenaline and that desire to help people just kicked in and that I think that’s what got me through and the majority of the incident.”

Jay added: "The whole incident did make me feel a bit anxious about large scale events etcetera but you put on this you come to work and you do your job persona. I think that there was some anxieties around the court case but it was a little bit intense."

As Doyle appeared in court last month his counsel Simon Csoka KC asked for his client to be rearraigned on all charges.

Appearing in the dock wearing a black suit and glasses and sporting slicked back greying hair, he broke down in tears as he admitted all of the counts on the indictment through floods of tears.

The paramedic said he took relief from Doyle’s guilty plea after receiving a news alert on his phone.

Looking back on the evening, Jay said "what could have been 10 seconds could have been 10 hours for me" which he described as a natural response to something quite significant.

He also expressed how despite not knowing what could have been inside Doyle’s car as police officers tore it apart, he was not deterred in his desire to help those hurt in the chaos.

Jay said: "It was at that moment that I stopped and was thinking ‘what am I going down towards here?'

The paramedic admitted there was a moment when he did fear the worst and said there could have been a different outcome had there not been the pre-planning in place from emergency services.

He said: "I think having those people there and the injured people getting first class treatment so quickly after being injured was ultimately a game changing effort for a positive outcome for everyone."