Harry and Meghan's taxi driver speaks out after 'near catastrophic car chase'
The taxi driver who drove Prince Harry and Meghan through what they described as a "near catastrophic car chase" has spoken out.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were followed by paparazzi after attending an awards ceremony with Meghan's mother Doria Ragland in New York on Tuesday, the couple's spokesperson said.
They described it as a "relentless pursuit, lasting over two hours".
Sukhcharn Singh, who transported them for part of the journey, said the royal couple were being followed by photographers and "seemed scared" - but he personally "never felt in danger".
It comes after New York police officials played down the incident, saying the night was "challenging" but there were no reported collisions, injuries or arrests.
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Mr Singh told the Washington Post: "They kept following us and were coming next to the car. They took pictures as we stopped and were filming us.
"I don’t think I would call it a chase. I never felt like I was in danger. It wasn’t like a car chase in a movie. They were quiet and seemed scared, but it’s New York — it’s safe."
Doria Ragland, Harry and Meghan at the awards ceremony in New York (Getty Images Ms. Foundation for)
The couple said they were involved in a "near catastrophic car chase" (Getty Images Ms. Foundation for)The cabbie, 37, who moved to the US from India as a child, said he got the impression from the royals that they had been already pursued by paparazzi before entering his car.
After a few minutes, Mr Singh said, the security guard grew concerned about the photographers and asked him to return to the police station.
The guard thought they were too exposed and didn’t want their location shared more widely, he said.
Mr Singh, who goes by the name Sonny, told the BBC that he picked up the four passengers on 67th Street between Lexington Avenue and 3rd Avenue.
He added: "A security guard hailed me, next thing you know Prince Harry and his wife were hopping into my cab.
"As we went a block, we got blocked by a garbage truck and all of a sudden paparazzi came and started taking pictures.
Meghan speaks onstage with Gloria Steinem and Teresa Younger (Getty Images Ms. Foundation for Women)"They were just about to give me the location of where they were going to go, but then they told me to circle back to the precinct."
The trio had been at the Ms Foundation for Women's 50th anniversary gala event, which honoured "game-changing" grantee partners and visionary leaders committed to the organisation's mission of "advancing collective power and creating safe, just and equitable futures for women, girls, and gender-expansive people".
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Meghan received the Ms Foundation's Women of Vision Award, recognising her "global advocacy to empower and advocate on behalf of women and girls".
It was Harry and Meghan's first public appearance together since the duchess's absence at the King's coronation earlier this month.
It is understood that the couple believe the pursuit could have been fatal, as it involved six blacked-out vehicles with unidentified people driving recklessly and endangering the convoy and everyone around them.
In a statement on Wednesday, a spokesperson for Harry and Meghan said: "Last night, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Ms Ragland were involved in a near catastrophic car chase at the hands of a ring of highly aggressive paparazzi.
Meghan received the Ms Foundation's Women of Vision Award (Getty Images Ms. Foundation for Women)"This relentless pursuit, lasting over two hours, resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two NYPD officers.
"While being a public figure comes with a level of interest from the public, it should never come at the cost of anyone's safety.
"Dissemination of these images, given the ways in which they were obtained, encourages a highly intrusive practice that is dangerous to all involved."
The agency involved in the alleged chase, Backgrid USA, said: "We are aware of Prince Harry's statement regarding an alleged "near catastrophic car chase" involving himself, Meghan Markle, and her mother, in New York City on Tuesday night," Backgrid USA Inc said.
"We want to clarify that we have received photos and videos of last night's events from four freelance photographers, three of whom were in cars and one of whom was riding a bicycle.
"It is important to note that these photographers have a professional responsibility to cover newsworthy events and personalities, including public figures such as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
"According to the accounts given by these freelance contributors on a few of the photos even show Meghan Markle smiling inside a cab.
The statement then pointed the finger at the Sussexes' own security, accusing "one of the four SUVs" from Harry's camp of "driving in a manner that could be perceived as reckless".
"The vehicle was seen blocking off streets, and in one video, it is shown being pulled over by the police," Backgrid USA said.
"We understand that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's security detail had a job to do... We do, however, want to point out that according to the photographers present, there were no near-collisions or near-crashes during this incident."
It is said that traffic violations included driving on the pavement and through red lights, reversing down a one-way street, illegally blocking a moving vehicle and driving while photographing and while on the phone.
It is also said that while those involved were confronted by uniformed police multiple times, they continued the pursuit, and that there is footage taken from security along with other evidence to support these allegations.
Speaking on Wednesday, New York mayor Eric Adams condemned the photographers for being "reckless and irresponsible".
He added that it would be "horrific" for Harry to be involved in an accident similar to the one that killed his mother Diana in 1997.
Diana, Princess of Wales, was killed in a crash after her car, driven at speed by a drunk chauffeur, was chased through the streets of Paris by paparazzi photographers.
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