The first doctor to treat Princess Diana recalls the scene of the crushed car: “I couldn’t recognize her face; someone was standing behind the car…”
On a fateful day in 1997, when Princess Diana was involved in a horrific car crash, the first doctor on the scene witnessed a traumatic scene that he would never forget. After the crash in the Pont de l’Alma tunnel in Paris, Diana’s car was crushed beyond recognition.
Dr. Lionel O’Toole, who arrived at the scene, recalled, “When I got there, everything was chaotic. The car was flattened to the point where it was unrecognizable. I looked inside and couldn’t identify Princess Diana’s face. It appeared as though she was trapped under the wreckage. I noticed someone standing behind the car, but at that moment, I couldn’t make out who they were.”
Diana’s condition was critical. Despite Dr. O’Toole’s best efforts to save her, the injuries were too severe. A few hours later, Princess Diana passed away, leaving the world in deep mourning.
This moment, along with the pain and loss experienced by the royal family and the people of the UK, remains an unforgettable part of modern history. Dr. O’Toole, with his professionalism and courage, witnessed the loss of a global icon—an image he would carry with him for the rest of his life.