Bodyguard in Diana Crash Joins French Investigation as Civil Party

Bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones has become a formal party to the investigation of the crash that injured him and killed Princess Diana, Dodi Fayed and their driver, French judicial sources said Thursday.

By joining the probe as a civil party, Rees-Jones, the only survivor of the Aug. 31 crash, will have access to all court papers. Should criminal charges be filed, Rees-Jones could seek damages against the defendant--whoever it may be.

Diana’s family, as well as relatives of the driver and Fayed, who was her companion, are also civil parties to the case.

Rees-Jones spent more than a month in a French hospital and was under heavy anesthesia during operations to repair his jaw, which was severely injured in the crash.

Now that Rees-Jones has filed suit, under French law he can no longer be interrogated by investigators except in the presence of his lawyer, the judicial sources said.

During two interrogations, Rees-Jones was able to remember some details of what happened before the accident but was unable to remember the crash itself.

Rees-Jones, a 29-year-old former paratrooper, left France for England on Oct. 3.

Meanwhile, a judge lifted restrictions on one of the photographers named as a suspect in the case, allowing him to work and leave French territory, judicial sources said.

Christian Martinez, of the Angeli photo agency, had been unable to work as a journalist since being placed under formal investigation Sept. 2 on allegations of manslaughter and failing to help persons in danger, a crime in France.

Another photographer, Romuald Rat of Gamma, was released from similar restrictions 10 days ago. Rat and Martinez were the only suspects among the 10 who had to post bail--$16,000--and had been forbidden to work in their field.