Prince Harry was caught up in a dramatic high-speed motor collision in central London yesterday, when a police motorcycle in his convoy crashed head-on into a Toyota Prius as the Prince was being transported to an event at the Invictus Games.
Prince Harry reportedly looked on in shock as his bodyguards rushed to the aid of the unconscious driver of the car who was trapped inside. The Police outrider from the Prince’s motorcade was flipped and thrown 9m down the road.
A witness told the UK’s Daily Mail he saw Prince Harry in a black Range Rover looking “distressed” following the incident.
“I could see Prince Harry clearly in the back of the car with his head in his hand. He looked really distressed and was constantly looking back over his shoulder to see what was happening,” the witness said.
“It was clear that for security reasons he had to stay in the car. He looked very upset and shocked though.
“I can imagine how it must have felt to someone like himself who is a hero who has served on the frontline. He must have felt very frustrated that he couldn’t get out to help.”
Royal aides have confirmed that the Prince’s motor convoy was involved in the smash, but said the Prince was not injured.
Other witnesses said the police motorbike was embedded into the front of the car, while the driver was slumped into an airbag. Fireman had to cut the roof of the vehicle in order to free the driver.
A Scotland Yard spokesman confirmed the accident, saying: “At about 09:40, at Prince Albert Road/Junction with Regents Park, London, NW1, a police motorcyclist was involved in a collision with a Toyota Prius.”
He said both the driver and the motorcyclist were taken to hospital in a stable condition and said the exact cause of the accident is under investigation.
“Officers from the Met’s Road Traffic Investigation Unit are investigating. Enquiries continue and no arrests have been made.”
The car that Prince Harry was travelling in waited by the scene of the accident to assess the situation, before whisking the royal off at high-speed to attend a scheduled appearance at the Invictus Games – the Paralympics style event for wounded ex-servicemen currently underway in London.
Prince Harry, who is a spokesperson for the Games and officially opened them at a ceremony earlier this week, got to the event safely.
“The prince was obviously very concerned and wanted to make sure the men were OK. He is relieved to hear they are both in a stable condition,” a spokesman for Prince Harry said.
A source close to the Prince said he insisted they stop and assist, even though it would have gone against the advice of his security detail, who are concerned of the risk of terrorist attack.
“It was clearly a shocking incident but he was pleased the officers were able to stop and administer important immediate first aid,” the source told The Mail.
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