The roar of the crowd still echoed in the streets of Liverpool, a joyous celebration of a hard-fought victory. But the elation quickly turned to terror as a Ford Galaxy, driven by Paul Doyle, careened into the throngs of jubilant fans. One hundred and thirty-four people would be injured that day, their celebration shattered by a senseless act of rage.
Amidst the chaos, a former soldier named Dan Barr saw an opportunity – a desperate chance to intervene. He noticed the vehicle had stopped, the rear passenger door a mere five paces away. Instinct, honed by years of service in the Royal Engineers, took over. He wasn’t thinking about heroism, only about stopping the escalating danger.
Barr initially intended to break the window, fueled by adrenaline and a primal need to act. But as he ran towards the car, he saw others already attempting to gain access, their efforts frantic and desperate. He instinctively tried the door handle, and to his surprise, it opened. Without hesitation, he crawled into the backseat, bracing himself for what came next.
The car lurched forward as Barr secured himself inside, the rear door slamming shut. He vividly remembers the scene – fans trapped beneath the wheels, thrown over the hood, a sea of red shirts engulfed in panic. Doyle, seemingly detached, repeatedly muttered, “Why won’t they move out my way?” The chilling question revealed a disturbing disconnect from the devastation he was causing.
Time seemed to distort. Barr, acting on pure instinct, reached through the space and forcefully jammed the gear stick into ‘Park’. He remembers the unwavering determination to hold it, knowing Doyle would attempt to override his efforts. “He had no chance,” Barr recalled, “He wasn’t going to move my arm.”
With one hand locked on the gear stick, Barr reached forward and released Doyle’s seatbelt. The driver slumped forward, and the car finally shuddered to a halt. The crowd surged forward, windows shattering as people desperately tried to pull Doyle from the vehicle. Barr, having done all he could, simply walked away, eventually meeting his brother amidst the lingering shock.
Later, reflecting on his actions, Barr downplayed his bravery. He described it as simply doing what needed to be done. But investigators and prosecutors saw it differently. Detective Chief Inspector John Fitzgerald stated unequivocally that Barr’s intervention prevented further, potentially catastrophic, injuries.
The evidence, including Doyle’s own dashcam footage, painted a horrifying picture. Described as the most graphic and distressing footage law enforcement had ever encountered, it revealed a deliberate act of violence, a calculated rampage through a crowd of celebrating fans. The judge, sentencing Doyle, emphasized the intentional nature of the attack, dismissing it as anything other than a deliberate act of destruction.
Barr’s quick thinking and selfless courage transformed a day of celebration into a story of resilience and the extraordinary capacity for bravery in the face of unimaginable chaos. He didn’t seek recognition, but his actions undoubtedly saved countless people from further harm.
