|
| Dr Frederic Maillez: gave first aid to the injured princess |
The Final Hours
What happened in the final moments is a crucial part of the French criminal inquiry, with photographers under investigation for possible manslaughter.Whether the car had shaken off the paparazzi is one of the disputed issues. They say it had; some of those under investigation say they were not even there until afterwards.
On the other hand the Harrods spokesman, Michael Cole, has described a scene akin to indians around a stagecoach in the American Wild West, with flashguns being fired into the car and one motorcycle weaving in front of the Mercedes to try to slow it.
A driver ahead of the Mercedes has said he saw another car swerve in front of it. Two pedestrians have told police the Mercedes had to avoid a black Peugeot 205 moments before it crashed. It has not been traced.
|
| Robin Firestone: horrified by what she saw |
Certainly a number of papaparazzi, possibly as many as 15, were on the scene soon after the crash. So were two American visitors to Paris, Jack and Robin Firestone, who were with their 12-year-old son in the back of a taxi which happened across the wreckage.
They described photographers as "swarming" all over the car, trying to get as many pictures as possible - in Robin Firestone's chilling words, it was like some sort of jungle scene.
A leaked report from the first two police officers to arrive complains that the photographers were abusively and aggressively preventing them from tending the injured.
A doctor who also chanced upon the scene, Frederic Maillez, gives a different impression. After an initial inspection he went back to his car to call the emergency services, then returned.
Dr Maillez said in a television interview: "There was already an off-duty fireman who was helping the passenger in the front passenger seat, who turned out to be the bodyguard, so I went to help the young woman in the back who turned out to be Lady Di, although I didn't recognize her at first.
"There were 10-15 photographers shooting away at me, shooting the car constantly," he said - but added: "They didn't hinder me any more than the rubberneckers or photographers who you find at serious accidents."
