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PARIS (AP) — The woman was knocked to the floor of a tattered Mercedes, unconscious and struggling to breathe. The French doctors don’t know who she is and are bent on saving her.
Twenty-five years later, Frederic Mailliez is still What happened at the Alma Tunnel in Paris on August 31, 1997 – and realized he was one of the last people to see Princess Diana live.
“I realized that my name will always be with this tragic night,” Malitz, who was involved in a car accident on his way home from a party, told The Associated Press. “I’m kind of responsible for her last moments.”
25 years after Britain and Diana’s admirers around the world commemorated her death, Melitz recounted the aftermath of the crash.
That night, as Mailliez drove into the tunnel, he found a smoking Mercedes nearly split in two.
“I went to the wreckage. I opened the door and looked inside,” he said.
What he saw: “Four people, two of whom are apparently dead, unresponsive and not breathing, while the other two on the right are alive but in serious condition. Front passenger is screaming, he is breathing. He can Wait a few minutes. And the female passenger, the young lady, was kneeling on the floor of the Mercedes, her head down. She was having trouble breathing. She needed quick help.”
He ran to his car to call emergency services and grab a breathing bag.
“She was unconscious,” he said. “Thanks to my breathing bag (…), she regained a little energy, but she couldn’t say anything.”
The doctor later learned the news, along with the rest of the world, that the woman he treated was Diana, a national treasure adored by millions in Britain.
“I know it’s surprising, but I didn’t know Princess Diana,” he said. “I was helping in the back seat of the car. I realized she was beautiful, but my focus was on what I had to do to save her life, and I didn’t have time to think about who this woman was.”
“I was told by someone behind me that the victim spoke English, so I started speaking English, saying I was a doctor, and I called an ambulance,” he said. “I tried to comfort her.”
As he worked, he noticed the flashing of the camera’s light bulb, and the paparazzi gathered to document the scene. UK investigation Diana’s driver, Henry Paul, was found drunk and driving at high speed to avoid pursuing photographers.
Mailliez said he had “no blame” for the photographer’s actions after the crash. “They didn’t interfere with my access to the victims. …I didn’t ask them for help, but they didn’t interfere with my work.”
Firefighters arrived quickly and Diana was taken to a hospital in Paris, where she died hours later. Her companion Dodi Fayed and the driver also died.
“I was devastated to learn that she was Princess Diana and she died,” Melitz said. Then the self-doubt kicked in. “Am I doing everything I can to save her? Am I doing my job right?” he asked himself. “I checked with my medical professor, and I checked with the police investigator,” he said, and they agreed that he did everything he could.
The anniversary stirs those memories again, but “every time I drive through the Alma Tunnel,” they also come back, he said.
As Meliz spoke from the top of the tunnel, cars went in and out of the pillar where she crashed, now with Diana’s face emblazoned on it.
The nearby Freedom Fire Monument has become a remembrance for Diana fans of all generations and nationalities. Even for those born after her death, she has become a timeless liberating figure and style icon.
Irania Ouahvi, a 16-year-old Parisian who visited the flame, said she met Diana with her mother through a TikTok video.
“Even in her style, she was a feminist. She challenged royal etiquette and wore cycling shorts and slacks,” Wavy said.
Francine Rose, a 16-year-old Dutchman who passed by Diana’s memorial while cycling in Paris, owes her story to the recent film “Princess” starring Kristen Stewart. (The Princess).
“She was an inspiration because she was growing up in a strict family, royalty, and just wanted to be free,” Ross said.
Nicolas Garriga and Jeffrey Schaeffer contributed to this report.
Follow the AP’s coverage of the 25th anniversary of Princess Diana’s death https://apnews.com/hub/princess-diana
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