A former soldier who bravely stopped a car ploughing into crowds at last year's Liverpool victory parade has insisted he is not a hero, saying any other fan would have done the same.
Jumping Into Danger: A Split-Second Decision
Dan Barr, 41, a former Royal Engineers sapper who served in Iraq, acted on instinct when he saw Paul Doyle's Ford Galaxy 'snaking' through terrified families on May 26, 2025. As fans desperately punched windows trying to stop the vehicle, Mr Barr saw a clear path to the door.
"From my memory, it's almost like there was a perfect gap from me to the door," he recalled. His initial plan was to smash the glass, but at the last moment he tried the handle and found it unlocked. He crawled into the back seat just as Doyle accelerated away.
What struck him immediately was the 'audible contrast' between the screams of panic outside and the eerie silence inside the car. "It was really strange," he said.
'You Can Feel Them Going Over': The Horrific Ordeal
Inside the moving vehicle, Mr Barr's military training kicked in. He attempted to reason with Doyle, who was repeatedly asking, "Why won’t they move out my way?" He tried to grab the wheel and searched for the keys.
Most harrowing was the sensation of the two-ton people carrier moving through the crowd. "You can feel people. You can feel them going over," he described. "The lack of resistance sticks out in my mind. It was just like sailing through and there was no resistance at all from the people."
His decisive action came when he spotted the automatic gearstick. Reaching from the back seat, he shoved it into 'park' as hard as he could, bringing the car to a halt. Even then, Doyle kept revving the engine, but Mr Barr held the lever firm.
"He had no chance, he wasn't going to move my arm," Mr Barr stated. "No way, he could try to chop it off or whatever." He then managed to release Doyle's seatbelt, allowing the crowd to drag the driver out.
Aftermath and Trauma: 'It Has Brought Everything to the Surface'
Emerging from the car, Mr Barr feared he would be mistaken for an accomplice. "I remember thinking, 'I hope I don't get too much of a kicking'," he admitted. A distressed man opened the door, but after a quick explanation, let him out.
In a state of shock, and still bleeding from an untreated head wound, he met his brother for a pint. It was two days before he sought medical attention for his injuries.
In a victim impact statement, the ex-soldier revealed the attack had reopened past traumas from his time in the forces, where his role included searching for improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in Iraq. "All of these traumas I have kept underlying for years... But since that day it has brought everything to the surface," he told the court.
He has since been quick to anger, easily distracted, and has taken time off from his job as a builders' labourer, pushing him towards debt.
Despite his actions, which Judge Menary praised as 'outstanding' bravery, earning a High Sheriff's award and a £250 payment for courage, Mr Barr remains humble. "I'm not being funny when I say that, because I wasn't [brave]," he insisted. "If they could have, they would have. I imagine there's lots of people who'd love to have been in my position and do the same."
Paul Doyle, 54, was today sentenced to 21 years and six months in prison after admitting to driving into more than 100 fans. Police described it as 'sheer luck' that no one was killed.
