DIANA ‘DEATH CAR’ OUTRAGE
Limo was a ‘rebuilt wreck’ after an earlier smash, claims report
PRINCESS Diana’s death crash limo had been written off after an earlier smash, investigators claim.
But the Mercedes-Benz S280, which hit a Paris tunnel wall in 1997, was re-built and sold on to a hotel car pool.
One source told a TV documentary: “It had crashed before, and rolled over.”
PRINCESS Diana should never have been a passenger in the car that crashed and killed her because it was an insurance write-off, it was sensationally claimed last night.
A new investigation into the tragedy alleges the Mercedes-Benz S280 was a “re-built wreck” which was risky if driven at more than 60km/h (37mph).
Photographer Pascal Rostain, who has written a book on the Paris tragedy, told RTL Radio: “This car was a wreck. It had crashed before, and been rolled over several times.”
The astonishing allegations were aired last night on French television and come nearly 20 years after Princes William and Harry’s 36-year-old mother died with lover Dodi Fayed, 42.
They were in the Mercedes when it hit an underpass wall at up to 120mph – after they left the Ritz Hotel where they were staying.
The pool car had allegedly been made available to the Ritz, owned by Dodi’s father, billionaire businessman Mohammed Al-Fayed. But it was allegedly not taken out of service, despite a stark warning about the state of the vehicle two months before the accident which also killed chauffeur Henri Paul, 41.
Only Diana’s bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones, now 49, survived the crash.
French and British inquiries concluded Mr Paul was primarily responsible for the smash on August 31, 1997.
He lost control as he raced through the Alma Tunnel, next to the River Seine, drunk and on anti-depressants.
Neither he nor Dodi survived the impact, while Diana herself died from her injuries in a nearby hospital a few hours later. The Mercedes belonged to a company that provided chauffeurs and cars to the Ritz, Mr Rostain claimed. He said it had been scrapped and it is understood the owner was paid out by his insurance company. Permission was given to “re-make the vehicle” and it was repaired and sold, he added. Mr Rostain said one of his friends at the Ritz, identified as a driver cal l ed Karim, drove the Mercedes earlier in 1997 and warned staff about it.
Mr Rostain said: “Two months before the accident, [my friend] left the hotel and the only thing he said, is that it was necessary to get rid of this wagon. At more than 60 kilometres-anhour it didn’t hold.”
Mr Rostain is the co-author of a new book called “Who Killed Lady Di?”, while the tragedy is also the subject of a documentary called “Death of Diana: the incredible revelation”, shown on France’s M6 news channel last night.
Presenter Orphelie Meunier said: “We are offering verified facts” adding: “Diana was not safe in this car.”
Among those interviewed were Eric Bousquet,the original owner of the Mercedes, who said it had been involved in accidents, and was stolen.
Ms Meunier said the documentary would help draw a line under conspiracy theories, adding: “It was nothing but a car accident.”
Michael Cole, Mohamed Al-Fayed’s ex-spokesman, said: “I am not aware of any of these allegations.”