Prince Philip is ‘conscious but very shocked and shaken’ after crashing his Range Roverin a dramatic car crash near the Sandringham estate.
The Queen is by the duke’s side following the collision which happened just after 3pm when he was pulling out of a driveway onto the A149 in Babingley, Norfolk which leads to Sandringham.
Images have emerged of a black Range Rover having rolled on its side following the crash with a people carrier.
Police and ambulance rushed to the scene where two people, neither understood to be the prince, were treated for minor injuries.
The duke was seen by a doctor at his medical facilities on the Sandringham Estate following the crash as a precaution but was given the all clear.
A witness said they helped the duke out of the vehicle. He was conscious but very shocked and shaken, royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell said.
Prince Philip is ‘conscious but very shocked and shaken’ after crashing his Range Rover in a dramatic car crash near the Sandringham estate. The Queen is by the duke’s side following the collision which happened just after 3pm when he was pulling out of a driveway onto the A149 in Babingley, Norfolk which leads to Sandringham. Images have emerged showing the black Range Rover with severe damage to its left side
Images have emerged of a black Range Rover having rolled on its side following the crash with a people carrier. Police and ambulance rushed to the scene where two people, neither understood to be the prince, were treated for minor injuries
Prince Philip has been involved in a car crash close to the Sandringham Estate, but is unhurt, says Buckingham Palace
Map shows the Sandringham Estate where Prince Philip is known to enjoy solo drives
The crash comes after experts have warned of the dangers of older drivers getting behind the wheel. Figures show that in 2018, the number of drivers aged over 70 referred by the DVLA for extra testing increased by 20 per cent.
Under UK driving laws, people have to reapply for their licence once they turn 70. After that, they have to submit a new application every three years.
Rhiannon Mills, Sky’s royal correspondent, said: ‘From what I understand, Prince Philip has been seen by a doctor since that accident took place.
‘I’m told that was a precautionary measure and that he is doing fine and that we should not be unduly concerned.
‘Obviously, the fact that he is 97 years old will bring with it its own concerns. He is of course very independent and he has been a very active man.’
The royal protection officer assigned to Prince Philip was also uninjured.
The Archbishop of York tweeted a prayer for Prince Philip following the accident.
He wrote: ‘Almighty God, the Fountain of all Goodness, We humbly beseech thee to bless Philip Duke of Edinburgh. Endow him with thy Holy Spirit; enrich him with thy Heavenly Grace; prosper him with all happiness; and bring him to thine everlasting kingdom, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.’
Picture shows highway workers clearing up the wreckage following the crash
Picture shows highway workers clearing up the wreckage following the crash
Picture shows highway workers clearing up the wreckage following the crash
A police spokesman said: ‘We were called to the scene at around 3pm to reports of a two vehicle collision.
‘The road is not blocked. Recovery has been called and we are at the scene waiting for them to arrive.’
A Buckingham Palace statement said: ‘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.’
Aerial view of the Sandringham Estate surrounded by 20,000 acres of Norfolk parkland
File image shows Prince Philip driving his Land Rover
Prince Philip has been staying with the Queen at Sandringham since Christmas
Prince Philip, who underwent hip surgery in April 2018, was pictured enjoying a solo spin around Balmoral as recently as September last year.
The duke has been staying with the Queen at Sandringham since Christmas. He retired from public life in August 2017 after completing 22,219 solo engagements since 1952.
He did not join the Royal Family for their traditional Christmas Day church service, but has appeared alongside the Queen at several events since his retirement.
Philip married Elizabeth in 1947 and has been by his wife’s side throughout her long reign.
The duke is famously keen on driving and has been in an accident at least once before.
In 2010, he injured his ankle when his horse-drawn carriage hit a tree stump on the Windsor Estate.
‘It was a minor injury and he didn’t even go to hospital,’ a Buckingham Palace spokeswoman said at the time. ‘He is fine.’
A female groom who was in the carriage went to hospital with an elbow injury.
Dangers of older drivers getting behind the wheel: As Philip crashes, figures show the number of over 70s sent for extra testing has risen by a fifth
Experts have warned of the dangers of older drivers getting behind the wheel as the number of over 70s sent for extra tests rose by a fifth.
Figures show that over 2018, the number of drivers aged over 70 referred by the DVLA for extra testing has increased by 20 per cent, from 4,424 to 5,500.
Drivers over 65 were responsible for eight per cent of the total driving offences committed in 2017, compared to three per cent committed by under-22-year-olds.
Figures show that in the past year, the number of drivers aged over 70 referred by the DVLA for extra testing has increased by 20 per cent, from 4,424 to 5,500. File photo
The over-70s are twice as likely as 17-year-olds to be pulled over for speeding offences, and three times more likely to misread traffic or road signals.
According to Driving Mobility, the UK’s only provider of medical driving assessments, more than half of these pensioners will fail these tests and see their licences revoked as a result.
Although it is generally assumed that reckless younger drivers are the biggest danger, new DVLA figures prove this isn’t the case.
Drivers over 65 were responsible for eight per cent of the total driving offences committed in 2017, compared to three per cent committed by under-22-year-olds.
The over-70s are twice as likely as 17-year-olds to be pulled over for speeding offences, and three times more likely to misread traffic or road signals.
While young men remain responsible for the most fatalities, risky driving among the five million pensioners on the road is becoming a growing concern – especially as the number of OAPs on the roads increases by 750,000 every year.
Drivers aged 80 or over are four times as likely to crash than others, says Sergeant Rob Heard, a road safety officer for Hampshire Police, who also runs The Older Drivers Forum – an organisation that ‘keeps older drivers on the road safely, for longer’.
According to charities the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) and Action on Hearing Loss, a quarter of drivers over 70 suffer from ill health, three-quarters struggle with hearing and half will lose at least some of their sight.