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BLOODY HELL
Prince Philip rescuer had Duke’s ‘blood on his hands after pulling him through the roof’
A WITNESS has revealed how he looked down to see Prince Philip's blood on his hands after pulling the 97-year-old to safety from his overturned Land Rover.
The Duke of Edinburgh managed to escape serious injuries after the 4x4 he was driving was "T-boned" by a Kia people carrier on the A419 at Babingley, Norfolk on Thursday afternoon.
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Roy Warne, 75, was driving home with his wife Victoria, 72, when they saw the royal's car flip yesterday - immediately rushing to help and pull the royal to safety.
He said: "I looked down and had the Prince's blood on my hands.
"All I could think is, thank goodness there wasn't more."
Police today confirmed they were investigating the crash, saying: "As is standard procedure with injury collisions, the incident will be investigated and any appropriate action taken."
The shock pile-up also saw...
- A shaken-up Prince Philip breathalysed by cops after rolling his Land Rover near Sandringham on Thursday afternoon.
- The 97-year-old told police he had been 'dazzled by the sun' before the crash.
- Harrowing footage emerging of his smashed-up motor flipped on its side.
- Prince Charles' warnings that his father should have quit driving following a hip replacement ignored.
- Prince Philip is now being closely monitored by the Queen's doctors.
- Norfolk Constabulary confirm the female Kia driver, 28, suffered cuts to her knees and passenger, 45, broke her wrist in the crash. The nine-month-old baby was uninjured.
- Norfolk County Council today approved new safety measures on the section of the A149 where the crash unfolded after it was the scene of five deaths in just six years.
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The barrister said Prince Philip was trapped in the wreckage, saying to rescuers: "My legs! Where should I put my legs."
Mr Warne said: "I saw the car flip and thought f***ing hell.
"Before I even stopped I said to Victoria, dial 999."
Norfolk Constabulary today confirmed the driver of the Kia, a 28-year-old woman, suffered cuts to her knee, while the 45-year-old passenger suffered a broken wrist.
Both were treated at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn and discharged last night.
The nine-month-old baby in the car was uninjured.
Roy said the Land Rover “came across the A149 like a somersault. It was turning on its side over and over”. He added: “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.
DAZZLED BY THE SUN
“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 sun roof to try and 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.”
I looked down and had the Prince's blood on my hands.
Roy Warne
Mr Warne added: "He (Philip) wasn’t rude. He was very shaken and he went and asked: 'Is everyone else alright?'. He's a very brave man. He didn't make a big fuss about it."
Speaking at the scene this morning, the witness said he hadn't seen the royal’s face until he pulled him from the car.
He said: “I helped him move his legs, which were a bit trapped.
“It was all a bit crushed, then I saw his face and I realised who it was.”
He added: “It was a horrendous accident and it's just amazing that people weren't seriously injured.”
Shaken Philip is now being cared for by royal doctors and the Queen is by his side at the Sandringham estate.
Royal insider Ingrid Seward said the Duke's family - and particularly his wife the Queen - would be sure to step in to counsel the elderly prince after the crash.
She said: "The Queen will certainly be telling him off as Prince Philip has always been a very fast driver."
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Prince Philip in car crash near Queen’s Sandringham estate
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She added: "I think it will be the Queen, and I suspect his children and grandchildren will chime in and say enough is enough we don't want to lose you like this.
"It will be the Queen, she'll be the only one who can really tell him. "
Cops confirmed those involved in the crash had been breathalysed, with both testing negative.
Those who came across yesterday afternoon's crash scene say they are massively surprised he wasn't seriously hurt.
Locals have previously described the A149 as "one of the busiest roads in Norfolk", with it the scene of five deaths in just six years.
Norfolk County Council today approved plans for new safety measures on the section of the A149 where the Duke of Edinburgh's crash unfolded.
With the authority's environment, development and transport committee giving the green light, the speed limit will be lowered from 60mph to 50mph and an average speed monitoring system will be implemented.
One eyewitness said she feared the worst as dramatic video footage of the crash emerged yesterday.
"I was just going down the A149 … and saw a lot of blue flashing lights ahead," she said.
Duke of hazard
THE Duke’s crash yesterday is not the first time he has been in a prang.
Philip left a driver with whiplash after his Range Rover went into the back of a Mercedes at a zebra crossing in Brandon, Suffolk, in January 1996.
Sales director Pat Daynes, whose car had £1,000 of damage, said: “I was leading a normal life. Then whack, I’m part of a royal soap opera.”
"I saw a black, 4x4 type car on its side and me and my son were like 'oh my word, that doesn't look good'.
"Luckily it was just sort of on the side of the road, the road wasn't closed in any way.
"Obviously it looked quite smashed in. I'm quite amazed he [the Duke] is okay actually."
Berneen Caney, 25, said: "There was a lot of glass over the road as well as debris, I saw one of the cars was quite badly damaged, as for the Range Rover, its windows were smashed."
The support worker from King's Lynn added: "By the time I passed by, the Range Rover had been tipped back up on its wheels.
"I didn't see that much as I was more concerned the car in front of me was braking to turn off and that there was glass and debris all over the road.
"There was a lot of people there including police, and there was a paramedic there too."
There was a lot of glass over the road as well as debris, I saw one of the cars was quite badly damaged, as for the Range Rover, its windows were smashed
Berneen Caney
Jordan Andrew, 21, a builder at his dad’s home maintenance company, filmed the crash scene while travelling with a colleague who was driving.
Speaking with The Sun Online, Jordan, who lives in Moulton Seas End, said he wondered why there were so many unmarked police cars and flashing lights at the scene.
He said: “I saw flashing lights, multiple police cars and ambulances as we approached.
“There was a small paramedics car and a mobile ambulance. I wondered why there were so many unmarked police cars.
“There was a black range rover with flashing lights which obviously belonged to the police. And there was also a black BMW X5 which had flashing lights.”
Jordan said he only realised the significance of the crash when he received a new alert on his phone when he arrived home.
Ryan Davenport, 21, filmed the emergency response - not knowing it had been the Duke of Edinburgh involved. He said: "There were loads of police cars and ambulances - I thought it must be quite bad when I saw that.
"It wasn't until I got home and a co-worker who was in the car messaged me and said - that video you recorded was Prince Philip, I thought 'Oh Jesus'.
"I didn't have a clue."
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A Buckingham Palace spokeswoman confirmed the duke was driving when the incident unfolded.
She added: "He saw a doctor as a precaution and the doctor confirmed he was not injured."
A Norfolk Constabulary spokesperson said: "As is standard procedure with injury collisions, the incident will be investigated and any appropriate action taken."
Police seen crowding around Prince Philip's Land Rover after crash near Sandringham
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Prince Philip's rescuer, Roy Warne, recounts how he helped the royal to safety after the car crash
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