The inquest into the deaths of Diana, Princess of Wales and Dodi Al Fayed has
heard how a motorbike swerved to avoid the Mercedes carrying the Princess and her companions as it crashed inside the
Pont de l’Alma tunnel.
Giving evidence as the inquest entered its third week of a possible six-month process, French motorcyclist Grigori Rassinier
recalled how he saw the bike emerge from the smoke which emanated through the tunnel in the immediate aftermath of the crash.
According to the witness, the biker immediately left the scene without stopping.
Mr Rassinier also recalled seeing the injured Princess crushed against the
front seat of the crashed Mercedes with her hand raised.
Speaking in a written statement, the contents of which were read out to the
eleven jurors hearing the case at the High Court in London, Mr Rassinier said: “The interior light of the
crashed car was on. As result I could see two heads in the back of the car.”
"Immediately afterwards I heard a hooter followed by the sound of
braking and then saw a motorbike emerge from the smoke. It swerved as if it
were avoiding the crashed car."
Continued Mr Rassinier, whose testimony follows that of an earlier witness
who also spoke of seeing a motorbike leaving the scene: "This motorcycle
left very quickly after having executed the swerve...It seems improbable that
the motorcycle stopped before setting off again. I think that the motorcycle
simply had time to slow down or to brake very hard."
