PARIS (AP)
12/03/97
Within hours of the accident that killed Princess Diana, French investigators thought a second car might be involved in the crash, the first official sketch of the scene shows.
The detailed diagram obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press from informed official sources was made Aug. 31, the same day as the crash along the Seine River.
The drawing is interesting because it offers a detailed look of the crash site, and it shows ``a probable collision zone'' between Diana's Mercedes and another car in the Pont de l'Alma traffic tunnel where the princess, her companion Dodi Fayed and their driver Henri Paul died.
Despite the sketch, the initial focus of the investigation was on photographers following the princess, and then on the driver, who was legally drunk and on prescription drugs at the time of the high-speed accident.
It was not until almost three weeks later that police were willing to say they were actively looking for a small Fiat.
The search for the Fiat - which continues - began after tests on pieces of a tail light and car paint traces found at the scene showed they didn't come from the Mercedes.
The diagram shows red glass found at the scene of the ``probable collision zone'' between the two vehicles, where a 19-yard skid mark was indicated.
While the drawing shows other cars or motorcycles traveling in the tunnel at the same time, it does not indicate how investigators thought the small Fiat entered the tunnel - or got away.
The diagram also shows a second 32-yard skid mark, ending at the 13th pillar where the Mercedes crashed, killing all but bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones.
During the month he spent recuperating in a Paris hospital from his injuries, Rees-Jones met twice with French investigators.
In his second interview on Oct. 2, Rees-Jones, shown three photographs of Fiat UNO cars, said, ``That doesn't bring anything to mind,''according to judicial sources.
Rees-Jones said it was Dodi Fayed who designated Paul, assistant security chief at the Ritz Hotel, to drive the Mercedes on the fatal night, the judicial source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Nine photographers and a motorcycle courier are under formal investigation for manslaughter and failure to help people in danger. They haven't been formally charged, and the inquiry is still underway.