Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, involved in car crash near Sandringham - NEWS.com.au

Prince Philip has narrowly avoided injury after the car he was driving overturned in a traffic accident near the royal family’s Sandringham Estate.

A first responder at the scene said the Duke of Edinburgh cried out “my legs” as he was pulled from the wreckage.

Philip, 97, was trapped inside his overturned Land Rover after it collided with a Kia carrying two women and a baby.

A witness told The Sun that he helped to free the royal from the crash and claims the Duke told rescuers: “My legs! Where should I put my legs?”

It was also claimed he told police after the crash that he had been “dazzled by the sun.”

The witness told The Sun he saw the car flip and thought “f***ing hell.”

“I rushed to the other car — there was smoke coming out as if it may explode. There was a baby in the back seat screaming.”

He also claimed that at one point: “I looked down and had the prince’s blood on my hands.”

The Duke’s Land Rover “came across the A149 like a somersault. It was turning on its side over and over,” he said.

“It was frightening to see a powerful car rolling like that,” the witness said.

HOW THE ACCIDENT UNFOLDED

Norfolk police said they were called to the scene on the A149 highway just before 3pm local time (2am AEDT).

It’s understood the horrifying accident occurred when Philip was pulling out of a small private road.

The Prince was reportedly crossing a main road when he was ‘T-boned’, with his Land Rover flipping onto the driver’s side.

The Daily Mail reported several police cars and two ambulances rushed to assist.

Both he and the female driver of the Kia were reportedly breath tested, with no alcohol detected in either of their systems.

A doctor examined Prince Philip at Sandringham Estate, where he was given the all clear. The driver of the Kia and her passengers were taken to hospital where they were treated for minor injuries and later discharged.

Sandringham is the private country residence owned by Queen Elizabeth in Norfolk, rural England. Prince Philip has been staying there with her since Christmas.

ROAD KNOWN FOR DEADLY DESIGN

The A149 highway is an accident black spot zone, according to The Mail, with a speed limit of 60mp/h (100km/h).

There have been a number of accidents on the 137 kilometre-long coastal road, with some proving fatal.

It understood in the six years to May 2018, 40 accidents occurred on the A149, where five resulted in death.

A high speed limit and poor road design is blamed for the incidents.

According to a local councillor, the scene of the accident is “a dangerous stretch of road”, the Daily Mail reported.

A Buckingham Palace spokeswoman said Prince Philip saw a doctor “as a precaution” who confirmed he was not hurt.

“The Duke was not injured. The accident took place close to the Sandringham Estate. Local police attended the scene,” a statement from Buckingham Palace said.

The Telegraph reports he was helped out of the vehicle, which had flipped, making it impossible to open the driver’s side door.

The Queen was not with him in the car at the time of the accident.

Philip had a passenger in his car, but the palace did not identify the person. It is likely the Duke was travelling with a protection officer, a standard security procedure for Britain’s senior royals.

It is unknown where Prince Philip was travelling to at the time.

Dramatic photographs taken after the crash showed the Duke’s dark-coloured Land Rover thrown onto its side.

A second car was seen upright, but facing front-first into bushes off the side of the road.

Buckingham Palace confirmed the accident in a statement, saying: “The Duke of Edinburgh was involved in a road traffic accident with another vehicle this afternoon.”

Eyewitnesses said they helped the royal out of the vehicle.

BBC royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell said one witness had reported Philip was “conscious” but very “shocked and shaken”.

It’s not the first time the Duke has been involved in a crash.

He once left a driver with whiplash after a prang in his Range Rover two decades ago.

In January 1996 he crashed into the back of a Mercedes at a zebra crossing.

The Mercedes driver, Pat Daynes, said: “There I was leading a normal life. Then whack! I’m part of the Royal soap opera.”

In the 1950s he crashed another car, his Aston Martin Lagonda, while leaving a lunch.

The auction house who sold that car in 2016 told The Sun the car was frequently touched up by mechanics.

DRIVING LAWS IN THE SPOTLIGHT

After the crash, commenters were quick to weigh in on whether the prince should’ve been driving at all.

The crash has also been used to ignite calls for restrictions on elderly drivers.

Philip has not shown any inclination to give up getting behind the wheel despite his age. Both he and Queen Elizabeth II share a strong passion for driving.

Buckingham Palace has been quick to clarify laws applying to the Duke’s driving.

The Palace has confirmed he still indeed does hold a valid driving licence, telling Express.co.uk: “Prince Philip followed all the usual DVLA practices.”

Interestingly, under British law, the only person who is allowed to drive without a licence is the Queen – because driving licences are in her name.

The Queen has never had to do a driving test and is the only person in Britain allowed to sit behind the wheel without a licence.

The same protections do not apply to other members of the Royal Family. But members of the family cannot be arrested if they are in the presence of the monarch, or in a royal palace, The Mirror reported.

The 92-year-old Queen has been driving since she was 19, learning to drive in 1945.

While royal protocol dictates a chauffeur, both the Queen and Philip appear determined to drive themselves around where possible

Drivers in the UK aged 70 and above need to reapply for their license every three years, for which there is a mandatory eyesight test. There is no upper age limit for driving a car in the UK.

THE DUKE’S LOVE OF DRIVING

Philip has become increasingly frail in his latter years, but is fiercely independent and still drives himself around the royal estates.

He also drives horse-drawn carriages, and walks without a stick, despite undergoing a hip replacement operation in May last year.

One of the Duke’s former body guards told Mail Online that he considered Philip to be one of the safest and most responsible royals behind the wheel.

Six months out from turning 98, he is also considered one of the oldest drivers in the UK.

The Duke is notoriously stubborn and is unlikely to give up his licence anytime soon however the Queen could revoke it if she wanted to.

The pair has been married 71 years and it’s expected that if she gave the word for him to stop driving, he would agree to it.

However insiders say that is unlikely as one of the reasons their marriage has stayed strong all that time is because neither force the other to do anything

As a younger man, he famously owned a former British black cab and used to sneak out for unaccompanied drives around London.

Philip also knows how to fly all types of aircraft but he hasn’t flown a plane since August 1997.

He gained his RAF wings in 1953, his helicopter wings in 1956 and his private pilot’s licence in 1959.

The Duke’s final flight on August 11, 1997 was from Carlisle to Italy.

He also loves to sail, making two round-the-world trips on Royal Yacht Britannia in his time.

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