Conflicting Reports

Now that Diana, Princess of Wales, has been laid to rest after a moving funeral service -- not only viewed but experienced by an estimated 2.5 billion people -- a grieving world now looks for someone to blame for this seemingly meaningless tragedy.

In the center of the continuing investigation into what actually happened that fateful night in a Paris tunnel are allegations and counter-allegations about whether or not the driver of the limousine was intoxicated and perhaps partially responsible for the deaths.

To say the least, the reports coming out of Paris have been contradictory. One news agency quoted a medical specialist saying that "sudden traumatic death" can effect blood alcohol tests. The same agency had earlier quoted another medical source who said such tests were "rarely if ever" incorrect.

Last week, Paris prosecutors first said driver Henri Paul had a blood alcohol content level of 1.75 mg/l and later updated that figure to 1.87 mg/l, both of which are at least three times the legal limit in France.

But Paul's family members have disputed the claims that he was drunk from the beginning. New reports over the weekend said that Henri Paul's funeral, originally scheduled Saturday, had been postponed, after a French judge ordered more blood tests conducted.

Speculation is already rampant that in any legal proceedings that take place the family will challenge the reliability of the blood test, the manner in which they were conducted and the handling of the evidence by authorities. Sounds a bit familiar, doesn't it?

The body becomes tolerant of levels like 0.17 and does not appear "falling-down" drunk.

In an apparent effort to show that Paul was not drunk, members of Dodi Fayed’s family released a Ritz Hotel security camera footage showing the couple calmly talking with their driver shortly before their departure.

In the video, Princess Diana stops briefly in a boutique in the lobby of the hotel and then listens as Fayed and hotel security personnel discussed plans for their departure in light of the photographers waiting outside. It then showed the Princess, Fayed, driver Henri Paul and bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones leaving the lobby by a back entrance.

Paul was seen in the videotape standing in the lobby casually participating in the discussions. He showed no obvious signs of drunkenness.

But as one visitor to the Alcholism site last week wrote to remind us, "There is one aspect of chronic use of alcohol (like 8 drinks per day for 25 years) to consider. The body becomes tolerant of levels like 0.17 and does not appear "falling-down" drunk. Pop a few Tic-Tacs or a Certs and you can appear normal in all respects. If you reach about 0.22 to 0.24 (though there are cases on record of as much as 0.30%), a person will just die. People around them will be surprised."

Legal Moves

The release of the security camera footage was viewed as an attempt by Fayed’s family to shift the focus back to the paparazzi, who have been accused by family members of the victims of contributing to the crash.

Meanwhile, A French judicial source told Reuters news agency that Diana’s family has filed a civil suit in connection with her death. The move allows their lawyers access to the criminal investigation files dealing with the photographers placed under investigation for manslaughter, and would allow them to seek civil damages if there were a trial. In France, criminal and civil trials are held concurrently.

Conflicting reports from witnesses have emerged on whether Paul had been drinking heavily before being recalled to the hotel to drive Fayed and Princess Diana. Some hotel employees said they had never seen Paul drinking, but others said he had recently shown up for work drunk.

Paul died in the crash with Fayed and Diana, leaving Rees-Jones, the bodyguard, as the only passenger to survive the crash. He remains hospitalized in critical condition and it is suspected that it will be weeks before he can communicate with authorities.

Perhaps one day Rees-Jones will emerge as the best eye witness to the events leading up to the crash, but until then the news media will be left with rumors, speculation and theories to fill their sound bites.

UPDATE: One newspaper reports that Rees-Jones regained consciouness and spoke to his parents telling them he felt partly responsible because he was in charge, but he wasn’t able to prevent the accident.

Some witnesses said motorcycles cut off the Mercedes in the tunnel, or the Mercedes swerved to avoid another car, or the motorcycles carrying the paparazzi were actually far behind the limousine. Stories report the speedometer was stuck at 121 miles per hour, then it was changed to zero.

Police reportedly have more than 20 rolls of film confiscated from photographers at the scene, some of which may have images taken before the crash. Maybe they will shed some light on the events prior to the fatalities.

But now that the world has put some closure on its grief with the emotional and stirring funeral service for Diana, it's attention will now be focused on who to blame.

Why? Because without someone or something to blame, the senselessness of the tragic death of the Princess of Wales becomes far too unbearable. It offends our sense of justice that such a beloved personality, with whom we all felt some connection, could be taken away from us so senselessly.

Unfortunately, family members of the victims of drunk drivers must face that same sense of futility by the thousands each year.

Your Comments
Many of you have emailed your comments on the tragic death of Princess Diana. Here are some excerpts, published anonymously.

If you would like to add your comments just send me an email. If you would like to receive a very short newsletter about updates to this site and other news, just send a note to Buddy T.

Candle in the Wind

...from a country lost without your soul.

Following is the text of the modified version of the song Candle in the Wind, which rock star Elton John sang at Princess Diana's funeral Saturday. Composer Bernie Taupin, who wrote the words to the original song in 1974, changed the lyrics for the occasion.

Goodbye England's rose;
may you ever grow in our hearts.
You were the grace that placed itself
where lives were torn apart.

You called out to our country,
and you whispered to those in pain.
Now you belong to heaven,
and the stars spell out your name.

And it seems to me you lived your life
like a candle in the wind:
never fading with the sunset
when the rain set in.

And your footsteps will always fall here,
among England's greenest hills.
Your candle's burned out long before
your legend ever will.

Loveliness we've lost;
these empty days without your smile.
This torch we'll always carry
for our nation's golden child.

And even though we try,
the truth brings us to tears;
all our words cannot express
the joy you brought us through the years.

Goodbye, England's rose,
from a country lost without your soul,
who'll miss the wings of your compassion
more than you'll ever know.

-- From a Reuters report.
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