Witnesses to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s alleged “near catastrophic car chase” provided new insights regarding the incident.
A spokesperson for the couple claimed they were followed by “a ring of highly aggressive paparazzi” for two hours on Tuesday night, which “resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two NYPD (New York Police Department) officers,” per The Guardian.
But according to witness statements, the event may not have been as “catastrophic” as the couple’s spokesperson claimed.
In an interview with The Washington Post, taxi driver Sukhcharn Singh said he picked up Harry, Meghan, Doria Ragland and a security guard in New York City and drove them for roughly 10 minutes before he noticed they were pursued by a black Honda Accord and an older gray Honda CR-V.
“They kept following us and were coming next to the car,” Singh told The Washington Post. “They took pictures as we stopped and were filming us.”
Singh said he got the impression the group had already been pursued by the paparazzi before he picked them up. After a few minutes, the security guard became concerned and asked Singh to drop them back off at the police station.
“I don’t think I would call it a chase,” Singh said of his time with the group. “I never felt like I was in danger. It wasn’t like a car chase in a movie. They were quiet and seemed scared but it’s New York — it’s safe.”
A photographer at the scene told People magazine it is “sensational” to describe the incident as “near catastrophic.”
“Nobody got a ticket or arrested” the photographer told People. “I don’t see how it was near catastrophic other than crazy hyperbole.”
A second source claimed, “At any point, they could have gone to a police station or pulled into a garage,” per People.
The New York City Police Department confirmed that there was no collision or injuries caused by the chase.
“On (Tuesday) evening, May 16, the NYPD assisted the private security team protecting the Duke and Duchess of Sussex,” the police department said in a statement to CBS New York. “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.”