Prince Philip is likely to escape being charged over the horror crash last month because he has voluntarily surrendered his driving license after 80 years.
The move by the Duke of Edinburgh came just weeks after he flipped his Land Rover outside the Sandringham estate in Norfolk which sent two women to hospital.
Motoring lawyers believe he may not be charged for careless driving because there is little public interest in bringing a ‘costly prosecution’ if he has given up his licence, according to the Sunday Times.
The woman who broke her wrist in a car crash with Prince Philip has welcomed the news that he has surrendered his license, and says that the ‘roads will be safer’.
Just two days after the crash, Prince Philip was back behind the wheel
Emma Fairweather, 46, has welcomed the news that Prince Philip has surrendered his driver’s licence
Emma Fairweather, 46, was a passenger in the Kia that was involved in a collision with the Duke’s Land Rover last month.
She broke her wrist in the crash and has said that the Duke’s decision is ‘sensible and the right thing to do’, before adding that it was a ‘shame he didn’t make the decision sooner’.
A file has been handed to prosecutors who are now weighing up whether to bring a case against the Duke.
A CPS spokesperson said: ‘We review each file carefully before a decision is made and will take this development into account.’
Buckingham Palace confirmed Prince Philip relinquished his licence on Saturday.
The 97-year-old apologised for his role in the accident after his vehicle hit another car before landing on its side.
Ms Fairweather told the Sunday Mirror: ‘He’s making the most sensible decision he can. It’s a shame he didn’t make it a bit sooner but it’s the right thing to do.
‘Undoubtedly the roads will be safer now. It won’t have been easy for him to make as it is a loss of independence. But he can work around it.’
She also added that she has done nothing but cry’ this week after having an operation to screw a metal plate into her arm.
Prince Philip left two people requring hospital treatment after his Land Rover rammed into a Kia
Just two days after the crash, the Duke was spotted driving without a seatbelt, sparking widespread backlash.
A statement from Buckingham Palace said: ‘After careful consideration the Duke of Edinburgh has taken the decision to voluntarily surrender his driving licence.’
The retired barrister who pulled the Duke from the wreckage said he might have been overly cautious giving up his licence.
Roy Warne said: ‘No one should be driving if they don’t feel safe to do so however old they are but in the Duke of Edinburgh’s case we don’t have the full facts so it is very difficult to express a view.’
Mr Warne, who with wife Victoria helped free the royal and tend to the injured women driver and passenger, said: ‘He’s surrendering his licence but maybe the accident wasn’t his fault. We simply don’t know.
‘He’s done what he felt was best and maybe he had been under pressure so I can’t be surprised either way. But younger drivers are much more dangerous than older drivers.’
A Norfolk Police said: ‘We can confirm that the 97 year old driver of the Land Rover involved in the collision at Sandringham on Thursday 17 January 2019 has today voluntarily surrendered his licence to officers. We will follow the standard procedure and return the licence to the DVLA.
The investigation file for the collision has been passed to the Crown Prosecution Service for their consideration.
Witnesses revealed Philip was shaking and pleading ‘get me out’ after his Land Rover crashed while he was out driving alone without a protection officer.
He escaped injury but Emma Fairweather, 46, broke her wrist and called for Prince Philip to be prosecuted if found to be at fault.
According to one eyewitness, the Kia, driven by a 28-year-old mother, ‘T-boned’ the duke’s car and ended up in a hedge with smoke coming from the engine.
On January 21, Prince Philip sent her a letter wishing her a ‘speed recovery’ and that he ‘failed to see the car coming’, the Sunday Mirror reported.
The sun was blamed for hindering his vision and he wrote he was ‘very contrite about the consequences’ of the collision.
Philip is believed to have just left Sandringham, marked in red, and was turning on to the A149 at this junction when he collided with a Kia and his car cartwheeled on to the other side of the road, circled blue
A driver claims Prince Philip almost crashed into her as near Sandringham estate before his shocking crash on Thursday (pictured)
A motorist who swerved around the wreckage (aftermath of crash pictured) said the duke was ‘hanging from his seat’ and saying ‘my leg is trapped’. Four rescuers had to free him from his upturned Land Rover
He said he was ‘deeply sorry’ and explained while he was familiar with the junction he could ‘only imagine’ the low sun stopped him seeing her approaching.
The Duke appeared to admit responsibility in a letter to Ms Fairweather several days after the accident.
In his 181-word typed letter, Prince Philip wished her a ‘speedy recovery from a very distressing experience’.
Two days ago, Norfolk Police confirmed they were still investigating Prince Philip’s crash on January 17 when his Land Rover rolled over after being hit by a Kia.
The accident happened as Philip pulled out of a side road on to the 60mph limit A149 road.
The Duke, who has given a police statement, could be charged with careless driving.
Witnesses yesterday revealed the 97-year-old was shaking and pleading ‘get me out’ after his Land Rover crashed (aftermath pictured) while he was alone and without a protection officer