A taxi driver who claims he drove Prince Harry and Meghan Markle during what has been called a “near catastrophic” car chase, said he never felt there was an element of danger at all, The Washington Post reported.
Sukhcharn Singh said he picked the famous couple up in New York on Tuesday night and drove them for a short time while they were being followed by photographers, according to The Washington Post. Singh estimated that the entire journey lasted 10 minutes.
“I don’t think I would call it a chase,” Singh said in a statement to The Post. “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.”
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry involved in a “near catastrophic” 2-hour car chase last night in NYC. Read the breaking story here: https://t.co/wCNG72kqUl pic.twitter.com/FG8DqxD77b
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Singh claimed he was flagged down by their security guard at 11 p.m. outside the New York City Police Department’s 19th precinct on East 67th Street. The guard reportedly asked, “Do you want a fare?” and Harry, Markle, and Markle’s mother piled in, according to The Post.
Singh claimed he drove his passengers for a block and a half to Park Avenue, then headed south. He said they were followed by a black Honda Accord as well as an older, gray Honda CR-V, but claimed he never felt endangered at all, according to The Post.
“They kept following us and were coming next to the car,” Singh said. “They took pictures as we stopped and were filming us.”
Singh said he turned and headed north up Madison Avenue, and drove them back to the pickup point.
Initial claims made by Markle and Harry’s spokesperson told a very different story.
“This relentless pursuit, lasting over two hours, resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two NYPD officers,” the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson described the situation as a “near catastrophic car chase at the hands of a ring of highly aggressive paparazzi,” according to The Post.
‘I would find it hard to believe that there was a two-hour high speed chase.’
New York Mayor Eric Adams reacts to Prince Harry’s spokesperson saying he and Meghan Markle were involved in a ‘near catastrophic car chase.’
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“There were numerous photographers that made their transport challenging,” Julian Phillips, an NYPD spokesman, said, according to the Washington Post. “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived at their destination and there were no reported collisions, summonses, injuries, or arrests in regard.”
New York Mayor Eric Adams issued a statement Wednesday stating he had been briefed on the situation and was told that two New York City police officers “could have been injured,” the outlet noted. (RELATED: ‘It Is Not Possible’: Megyn Kelly Slams Meghan Markle And Prince Harry’s Alleged NYC Car Chase)
He called the situation “a bit reckless and irresponsible,” and went on to indicate that a two hour chase would be unlikely. “A 10-minute chase is extremely dangerous in New York City,” Adams added.