British Queen Elizabeth’s husband Prince Philip has escaped unhurt in a car crash on Thursday while driving near the Queen’s Sandringham estate.
The Duke of Edinburgh, 97, is back at Sandringham and has seen a doctor as a precaution, Buckingham Palace has said.
The accident happened as the duke drove a Land Rover out of a driveway onto the A149. The other car involved was a Kia. Two women in it needed hospital treatment – they have since been discharged.
Eyewitnesses said the duke’s Land Rover overturned during the collision. They said they helped the duke out of the vehicle. He was conscious but very, very shocked and shaken, they added.
Norfolk police said it was force policy to breathe test drivers involved in collisions and both had provided negative readings.
The duke A woman who drove past the crash scene – near Babingley, a small village north of Kings Lynn in Norfolk – at around 15:40 said she saw an ambulance and “a heavy police presence”.
“I was just going down the A149 … and saw a lot of blue flashing lights ahead,” she said. “I saw a black, 4×4 type car on its side and me and my son were like ‘oh my word, that doesn’t look good’.
“Luckily it was just sort of on the side of the road, the road wasn’t closed in any way.” Obviously it looked quite smashed in. I’m quite amazed he [the duke] is okay actually.”
Norfolk police confirmed officers were called to the scene shortly before 9pm (local time) after a Land Rover and a Kia were involved in a collision.
The driver of the Kia suffered cuts, while the passenger sustained an arm injury, police said. Both were treated at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn.
