Prince Harry And Meghan Markle's 'Near-Catastrophic Car Chase' With Paparazzi
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle claim that paparazzi chased them for two hours through Manhattan. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were returning from an awards ceremony at Ziegfeld Ballroom in midtown Manhattan on Tuesday, a spokeswoman for the couple said. The couple, along with Meghan's mother, Doria Ragland, were trying to get back to their residence in Upper East Side, without the paparazzi knowing their location.
Their "near catastrophic car chase" claims raised several alarms as people compared the situation to Princess Diana's tragic paparazzi chase which led to her sad demise. "This relentless pursuit, lasting over two hours, resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians, and two [police] officers," a spokesperson for the royal couple said, as reported by Independent.
As per New York Post, the NYPD said that the incident was being investigated, although the police also downplayed the royal couple's high-drama allegations, depicting a moderately agitated yet all-around contained scene. "The NYPD assisted the private security team protecting the Duke and Duchess of Sussex," an NYPD spokesperson said in a statement Wednesday.
"There were numerous photographers that made their transport challenging. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived at their destination and there were no reported collisions, summonses, injuries, or arrests in regard." The Sussexes were driven around 67th Street, FDR Drive, and nearby streets for about an hour and 15 minutes to stall the paparazzi that was following them before they were dropped off at the New York City Police Department's 19th precinct, two senior law enforcement authorities told NBC New York.
The cab driver Sukcharn Singh told New York Post on Wednesday afternoon that he was hired to bring the royals away from the precinct, but the journey just lasted 10 minutes as the royal couple requested to be taken back to the station. Singh affirmed that the decision to go back came from apprehensions that the paparazzi would keep following them and disclose their residence.
The cab driver said that six paparazzi encircled his car when they were stuck behind a trash truck and that his cab was followed by two cars. "I never felt like I was in danger. It wasn't like a car chase in a movie," Singh said. "They were quiet and seemed scared but it's New York — it's safe."
Meanwhile, Chris Sanchez, a member of the Sussexes security team, shared the Tuesday night incident with CNN in an exclusive discussion on Wednesday. "I have never seen, or experienced anything like this," he said. "What we were dealing with was very chaotic. There were about a dozen vehicles: cars, scooters, and bicycles," Mr Sanchez said. "The public [was] in jeopardy at several points. It could have been fatal. They were jumping curbs and red lights. At one point they blocked the limousine and started taking pictures until we were able to get out. [I] was concerned about [Prince Harry and Meghan Markle] but more about the public because [the paparazzi] were being so erratic," Mr Sanchez added. "People were on sidewalks and crossing streets and the [paparazzi] were crossing red lights. We did everything by the letter of law."
