Prince Harry and Meghan in ‘near catastrophic car chase with photographers’
Prince Harry, his wife Meghan, and her mother were involved in a ‘near catastrophic’ car chase after being followed by paparazzi in New York last night.
The incident happened after Meghan and Harry had attended an awards ceremony in New York on Tuesday.
A source close to the Sussexes told their biographer Omid Scobie that Harry, Meghan and Doria are ‘understandably shaken but thankful everyone’s safe.’
Having left the award ceremony at around 10pm, they were chased by a ‘gang’ of around six paparazzi vehicles, according to the Telegraph.
They were in a vehicle with members of their private security team but felt forced to take refuge in police stations as they struggled to shake the photographers off.
At one point, they left a police station in a taxi, which they hoped would act as a decoy, but it did not work and photographs were taken of them in the vehicle, it is claimed.
Eventually, after waiting it out at a different police station, they made it back to their friend’s house at around 12.30am, it is understood.
One source who had been with them at the award ceremony earlier told the Telegraph the paparazzi were driving so recklessly that it was not just the lives of the Sussexes and Ms Ragland that were put at risk but those of the public on the streets.
The paparazzi are said to have driven on pavements, jumped red lights and reversed down one-way streets.
They are also alleged to have been driving while talking on their phones and taking pictures.
Those involved are understood to have been confronted by uniformed police multiple times but continued the pursuit.
It was their first public appearance since the coronation of King Charles earlier this month.
It comes just a few hours after an alleged stalker was arrested outside of their home in the middle of the night.
Pictures from last night that have appeared on social media have shown Harry, Meghan and her mother, Doria Ragland, in a yellow New York City taxi.
It is understood that Harry and Meghan believe the pursuit could have been fatal, as it involved six blacked-out vehicles with unidentified people driving recklessly and endangering the convoy and everyone around them.
The couple accept a heightened level of attention when they are at public events, and in this case they exited and entered the venue publicly, allowing photographers to get pictures.
The family was staying at a private residence and did not want to compromise the security of their friend’s home.
It is said that traffic violations included driving on the pavement and through red lights, reversing down a one-way street, illegally blocking a moving vehicle and driving while photographing and while on the phone; that while those involved were confronted by uniformed police multiple times, they continued the pursuit; and there is footage taken from security along with other evidence to support these allegations.
A spokesperson said: ‘This relentless pursuit, lasting over two hours, resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two NYPD (New York Police Department) officers.’
They added: ‘Despite being confronted by uniformed police multiple times, the paparazzi’s cars continued their pursuit in trying to follow the Sussexes and Doria to the private residence they were staying at.
‘Traffic violations by the drivers include driving on a sidewalk, going through red lights, reversing down a one way street, driving while photographing and illegally blocking a moving vehicle.’
‘While being a public figure comes with a level of interest from the public, it should never come at the cost of anyone’s safety.
‘Dissemination of these images, given the ways in which they were obtained, encourages a highly intrusive practice that is dangerous to all involved.’
Last year the Prince was almost caught up in a car chase as he left LAX airport to fly to the UK.
The trio had been at the Ms Foundation for Women’s 50th anniversary gala event which honoured ‘game-changing’ grantee partners and visionary leaders committed to the organisation’s mission of ‘advancing collective power and creating safe, just and equitable futures for women, girls, and gender-expansive people’.
The Duchess of Sussex received a Woman of Vision award at the ceremony as she encouraged women to fight for equity as she accepted the award at the Ms. Foundation for Women’s annual gala.
‘It’s never too late to start’ she said at the event in New York.
She added: ‘You can be the visionary of your own life… There is still so much work to be done.’
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