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Prince Philip car crash victim criticises decision not to charge Duke

The Duke of Edinburgh pictured in 2012 [Photo: PA]
The Duke of Edinburgh pictured in 2012 [Photo: PA]

The victim who broke her wrist in the car accident involving the Duke of Edinburgh has criticised the Crown Prosecution Service’s decision not to charge him.

Prince Philip’s Landrover collided with a Kia at the junction of the B1439 where it meets the A149, close to the Queen’s Sandringham estate in Norfolk, on 17 January 2019.

The duke, 97, was uninjured, but the driver of the Kia, a 28-year-old woman, suffered cuts to her knee while the passenger, Emma Fairweather, 46, sustained a broken wrist.

Ms Fairweather, who had to undergo surgery after the accident, told The Mirror: “I don’t know if everyone would have been treated that way.”

The mum-of-two added: “It’s not a shock, really.

Glass and debris on the road after the car accident, near Sandringham [Photo: PA]
Glass and debris on the road after the car accident, near Sandringham [Photo: PA]

“I think he surrendered his licence last weekend to avoid prosecution. He will have been heavily advised. The whole thing feels managed and controlled.”

It was confirmed by Buckingham Palace last week that Prince Philip had surrendered his driving licence.

MORE: Prince Philip will not be prosecuted over Sandringham car crash

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The CPS released a statement regarding the outcome of their investigation on Thursday.

Chris Long, Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS East of England, said: “The CPS has carefully reviewed material submitted by the police in relation to a traffic collision on the A149 on 17 January this year.

“We took into account all of the circumstances in this case, including the level of culpability, the age of the driver and the surrender of the driving licence.

“We have decided that it would not be in the public interest to prosecute.

“All those involved in the collision have been informed and provided with a full explanation in writing.”

Prince Philip wrote a letter to Ms Fairweather following the crash, in which he said “how very sorry I am” and wished her a “speedy recovery.”