Witnesses Say Driver Imbibed

The driver of the car carrying the Princess of Wales and Dodi Fayed was spotted having several drinks at the Ritz Hotel in Paris and at a nearby bar hours before the fatal crash, CNN reported Sunday.

Citing unnamed sources, CNN said witnesses saw Henri Paul drink a couple of glasses of French liqueur at the Ritz Hotel at about 4 p.m. the day of the crash that killed Diana, Fayed and Paul.

After drinking at the hotel, Paul walked to another bar, CNN said, where an unidentified bartender said he drank “two or three whiskeys” just after 7 p.m.

From there, he headed to another bar, where a bartender said he didn’t have any drinks.

Cameras showed Paul returned to the Ritz about 10:08 p.m.

CNN quoted sources saying that earlier reports that Paul had several more drinks at the Ritz while waiting for Fayed and Diana were “exaggerated.”