Posted on 10/15/2007 11:14:27 AM PDT by UKrepublican
Diana inquest: Witness saw 'major white flash' just before crash
A motorist who witnessed the crash which killed Diana, Princess of Wales recalled today that he saw a "major white flash" in the Alma underpass.
Francois Levistre was driving in front of the Mercedes when the fatal collision happened in the Paris tunnel more than 10 years ago in August 1997.
Speaking by video link from the French capital for the inquest into the deaths of Diana and her lover Dodi Fayed, Mr Levistre described how the Princess's car was overtaken by a motorbike inside the underpass.
He told the jury he saw a very bright flash - like the light from a police radar - and it had been directed at the Mercedes.
Mr Levistre said, speaking through a translator: "I realised there was this major white flash of the motorbike in front of the Mercedes, in front of the car.
"I was nearly at the exit of the tunnel and I realised that because I heard the noise of the motorbike within the tunnel."
"I just wondered what happened because the light was like you were caught by the police in a radar," he added. Ian Burnett QC, counsel for the inquest, asked: "This flash was very bright?"
Mr Levistre replied: "Very. The light even came into my car."
He added: "The light was not directed towards me. It was directed towards the car which was behind."
The witness, who saw the events in his rear view mirror, described how the Mercedes veered from side to side before it turned around.
"When I saw the light, I looked into the mirror... I saw the car going from left to right to left again to get within the pillar.
"The car had no light any longer. Everything was switched off."
Mr Levistre, who stopped near the exit from the Pont de l'Alma tunnel, saw the motorcycle passenger get off, approach the car, look inside, and make a hand gesture to the bike's driver before they drove away.
He told the jury, sitting at the High Court in London, that the bike's occupants looked at him before passing his vehicle and leaving the underpass.
Mr Levistre also said he saw a small white car in the tunnel, but maintained that there was no contact between this and the Mercedes.
He could not confirm that it was a Fiat Uno.
Mr Levistre was with his wife, their daughter Marie-Agnes and her boyfriend - now husband - David Le Ny, on a night out in Paris at the time.
They were walking back to their car from the Eiffel Tower nearby.
Mrs Catheline said: "When they were already in the tunnel, under the bridge we heard noises like two cars bumping each other."
Mr Le Ny said he remembered seeing a large dark car speeding towards them into the tunnel.
"It was going very fast, I remember the noise coming from the engine... I certainly made a comment, stating that they were crazy or something like that."
Mr and Mrs Catheline also told how they had seen a man running towards them into the tunnel almost immediately after the crash.
The inquest also heard how the Princess of Wales's Mercedes may have "bumped" another large, dark car as it entered the tunnel.
Jean-Claude Catheline and his wife Annick told the inquest that they saw two dark cars travelling quickly side-by-side into the Pont de l'Alma Tunnel in Paris in the early hours of August 31 1997.
Speaking by video link from the French capital they revealed how they heard the sound of a collision as they walked on a grassy embankment near the entrance to the underpass.
Moments later, Mr Catheline heard the sound of tyres screeching as the Mercedes carrying Diana and Dodi crashed. He told the inquest sitting at the High Court in London: "As soon as the car disappeared from our view we heard what sounded like the bodywork bumping, I think that this noise was before the car entered the tunnel."
In an excerpt from his original police statement, read to the court by Richard Horwell QC, he said: "Almost immediately I heard a second noise, very, very loud, quite different from the first, it was a dull noise and followed by a second, identical noise."
Mr Catheline added, as he addressed the court: "I heard the tyres screeching on the road." The couple were with their daughter Marie-Agnes and her boyfriend - now husband - David Le Ny, on a night out in Paris at the time.
They were walking back to their car from the Eiffel Tower nearby.
Mrs Catheline said: "When they were already in the tunnel, under the bridge we heard noises like two cars bumping each other."
Mr Le Ny said he remembered seeing a large dark car speeding towards them into the tunnel.
"It was going very fast, I remember the noise coming from the engine... I certainly made a comment, stating that they were crazy or something like that."
Mr and Mrs Catheline also told how they had seen a man running towards them into the tunnel almost immediately after the crash.
If Mohammed Fayed had changed it, I think I would have noticed.
You are absolutely correct.
About as shiny as yours, idiot!
Likewise. All I need to know is that someone is a conspiracy nut in spite of overwhelming evidence. Let's save that for the next JFK thread.
Goody for you. Europe has welcomed far too many of his people, who are notorious for "buying" public opinion with donations to "charity", as Hamas has done. Again, that's called "selling out."
The real agenda is their more than willingness to destroy Western civilization, strip away any vestige of the culture of their more prosperous host nations, and install their multiple-wives, honor-killing, genital-mutilating, moon-worshipping culture and their barbarians into power.
Europe condemns Israel, our President and the War on Terror; but can no longer police large mosque-dominated parts of its major cities and towns. When the Islamists start the bloodletting, Europe will turn to the United States, begging us once again to sacrifice the best of our youth to bail them out.
Europe has given up her history, her cultures, and most importantly, her respect and alliegiance to the Lord Jesus. I pity Europe. I've traveled Europe many times and speak several of her languages and adore many of her churches, museums and cuisines. But I'm done with Europe.
Well said.
Probably a press photographer.
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