Diana jury told of 'white flash'

Princess Diana died in a car crash in Paris in 1997

A motorist has told the inquest into the death of Princess Diana about seeing a "major white flash" in the tunnel before the fatal crash.

Francois Levistre, who was driving in front of the princess's car, described how the princess's car was overtaken by a motorbike inside the underpass.

Mr Levistre, speaking from Paris, said he watched events through his mirror.

Other witnesses have said the Mercedes may have suffered a "bump" with another large, dark car.

'Two cars'

Speaking through a translator, Mr Levistre told the inquest: "I realised there was this major white flash of the motorbike in front of the Mercedes, in front of the car.

"I was nearly at the exit of the tunnel and I realised that because I heard the noise of the motorbike within the tunnel."

Mr Levistre, who watched events unfold in his rear-view mirror, said he saw the Mercedes veer from side to side before it turned around.

"The car had no light any longer. Everything was switched off," he said.

The witness then saw the motorcycle passenger get off, approach the car, look inside and gesture to the bike's driver before the pair drove away.

Mr Levistre told the court that after the crash he remained in his car for between two to five minutes before driving off.

He said he did not want to get out of his car because he was afraid.

When asked what he had been afraid of, he replied: "Just like I said, I thought they were hitmen."

Jean-Claude Catheline and his wife Annick told the inquest they saw two cars enter the tunnel side-by-side.

They heard the sound of a collision as they walked near the underpass entrance in the early hours of 31 August 1997.

Speaking via video-link, they said they heard tyres screech moments later.

The couple, who were speaking from Paris, told the inquest sitting at the High Court in London: "As soon as the car disappeared from our view we heard what sounded like the bodywork bumping, I think that this noise was before the car entered the tunnel."

'Screeching' tyres

An excerpt from his original police statement was read to the court by Richard Horwell QC.

The statement read: "Almost immediately I heard a second noise, very, very loud, quite different from the first, it was a dull noise and followed by a second, identical noise."

And, as he addressed the court, Mr Catheline said: "I heard the tyres screeching on the road."

The couple had been walking back to their car from the Eiffel Tower nearby following a night out when they witnessed events moments before the accident in the Pont de L'Alma tunnel that killed the princess and her lover.

Mrs Catheline told the court: "When they were already in the tunnel, under the bridge we heard noises like two cars bumping each other."

Her son-in-law - David Le Ny - who had been with the couple, along with their daughter, remembered seeing a large dark car speeding towards them into the tunnel.

He said: "It was going very fast, I remember the noise coming from the engine... I certainly made a comment, stating that they were crazy or something like that."