HOW DID HE WALK AWAY?

Miracle escape for Prince Philip, 97 ++ He’s unhurt but breathalysed as his Land Rover flips in high-speed smash ++ He tells witness ‘the sun dazzled me’ ++ Two women in second car injured – their baby’s unharmed

THE Duke of Edinburgh had a remarkable escape yesterday after his car overturned in a horrifying road crash.

The 97-year-old royal was driving a Land Rover Freelander when it collided with a Kia car carrying two women and a ten-month-old baby as he pulled out on to a busy A-road near the Queen’s Sandringham estate.

The collision flipped Prince Philip’s two-ton vehicle on to its side – driver’s side down – splintering the windscreen and sending glass and debris across the road. The Queen’s husband – who was not injured – looked ‘very shocked and shaken’ and told one witness that he had been ‘dazzled by the sun’. Roy Warne, 75, said: ‘It was frightening.’ Mr Warne said he saw the Land Rover flip. The duke

was trapped inside and told rescuers: ‘My legs! Where should i put my legs?’

Mr Warne, a retired barrister from thornham near Hunstanton, told the Sun that he helped Philip out of his overturned vehicle through the sunroof, adding: ‘i looked down and had the prince’s blood on my hands. all i could think is, thank goodness there wasn’t more.’

Philip’s car appears to have been struck on the driver’s side – making his survival even more remarkable.

Crash experts looking at photos of the scene suggested a terrifying sequence of events. First, the duke – apparently dazzled by the sun – is believed to have pulled out of the B1439 side-road, coming from Sandringham House, on to the busy a149.

the Kia was travelling south on the main road, which has a speed limit of 60mph. the initial impact struck Philip’s side. if his car was not armoured, the collision might have proved fatal.

the range rover was flipped on to the passenger side, and then slid across the carriageway. Marks on the passenger side wheel arch, bonnet and upper chassis all indicate the car screeched on its side all the way across to the northbound carriageway – and then rolled over again.

Mr Warne said the duke’s car ‘came across the a149 like a somersault’.

‘it was turning on its side, over and over. it was frightening to see a powerful car rolling like that. i rushed to the other car – there was smoke coming out as if it may explode. there was a baby in the back seat screaming.

‘Once myself and another chap had managed to pull the baby out, i went to the overturned car. there was one elderly person inside and i tugged at the smashed windscreen and sunroof to try to get the driver out. He was lying on his side and his legs were down in the well of the car. i asked him to lift his left leg as his legs were trapped, and he said, “Where to?”

‘i suddenly realised it was Prince Philip. as he lifted his left leg, there was room for his right leg to move.

‘i reached into the car, put my hands under his armpits and gently eased him out. He stood up and was unharmed but was obviously very shocked.

‘He was disorientated and humbled. i believe he was very sorry about what had happened.

‘the sun was very low in the sky. Considering his age, he got off much better than the people in the other car.’

Last night, police said the two women in the Kia suffered minor injuries and were taken to hospital by ambulance after the accident at Babingley, on the outskirts of Sandringham in norfolk. the driver suffered cuts while her passenger sustained an arm injury. they were both later discharged from Queen Elizabeth Hospital in nearby King’s Lynn.

Police said Prince Philip and the other driver were breath-tested, in line with norfolk Police policy. Both provided negative readings.

Last night the duke, who has retired from public duties and underwent a hip replacement last year, was said to be recuperating at home on the estate with the Queen after being given the all-clear by a doctor. Family members, including Prince Charles, who is in Scotland, are being kept informed.

according to witnesses, the accident happened about 2.45pm.

One witness told the BBC that the duke’s car was ‘t-boned’, meaning struck from the side, adding: ‘it [the car] was turned over – he was turned over.’

the unnamed witness added: ‘ We helped him get out of the car. He was conscious but very, very shocked and shaken. there were lots and lots of police at the incident.’

the duke walked away from his overturned vehicle and got into another car, which took him to Sandringham House.

Local parish council chairman Ben Colson said the a149, which runs around much of the north norfolk area, had been the scene of several fatal accidents. He said council officials had discussed installing speed cameras.

in a statement, Buckingham Palace confirmed Philip was driving – and that he had an up-to-date driver’s licence.

the palace added: ‘the Duke of Edinburgh was involved in a road traffic accident with another vehicle this afternoon. the duke was not injured. the accident took place close to the Sandringham Estate. Local police attended the scene.’

asked about the claims Philip admitted he had been blinded by the sun, a palace spokesman said: ‘it is a matter for the police.’

Despite suffering a string of health issues in recent years, including last year’s hip replacement and an operation to insert a stent in his heart, Philip has always insisted on driving himself, as does the Queen.

Unlike the Queen, he wears a seatbelt, which would inevitably have contributed to his apparent lack of injuries. the incident will, however, raise questions about his ability to continue driving, as well as the wider issue of elderly drivers.

Motorists who are 70 or over must renew their driving licence and have to reapply once every three years

in 2014, Prince Charles told a D-Day veteran’s son that he worried about his father’s insistence on driving.

He told the son of ivor thomas, a former corporal in the royal Engineers from Gloucester, who also insisted on driving despite being in a wheelchair: ‘So does my father. i’m always worried.’

aa president Edmund King acknowledged the incident would raise public debate about the issue of elderly drivers, but said: ‘We wish the Duke of Edinburgh well. Many commentators use high-profile car crashes involving elderly drivers as a reason to call for bans or restrictions on older drivers.

‘if driving restrictions based on age and safety were introduced we would be more likely to restrict young drivers rather than older drivers.’

the duke is a regular sight driving around the Sandringham Estate. He was also seen driving former US President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle at Windsor in april 2016.

‘Very, very shocked and shaken’