Princess Diana died in a high-speed car crash on August 31, 1997, in the Pont de l'Alma tunnel in Paris. The car she was in, driven by Henri Paul, lost control while trying to evade paparazzi who were pursuing them. The vehicle crashed into a concrete pillar at high speed, reportedly around 121 mph, far exceeding the speed limit
. Henri Paul, the driver, was found to have a blood alcohol level nearly four times the legal limit in France and was also on prescription drugs, which contributed to the crash
. Both Henri Paul and Diana's companion, Dodi Fayed, died instantly at the scene
. Princess Diana survived the initial crash but suffered severe injuries, including a concussion, broken arm, and most critically, a tear in her left pulmonary vein causing massive internal bleeding. Despite emergency surgery and prolonged attempts to restart her heart at Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, she succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead at 4:53 a.m.
. Her last reported words at the crash site were "My God, what’s happened?" before going into cardiac arrest
. In summary, Princess Diana died from extensive internal injuries sustained in a high-speed car accident caused by the driver's grossly negligent driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs, compounded by the pursuit of paparazzi
