Prince Harry, Meghan involved in car chase with paparazzi

May 17 (UPI) -- Prince Harry, his wife Meghan and her mother were involved a "near catastrophic" car chase while being chased by paparazzi across New York, his spokesperson said.

The three were attending an awards ceremony in New York on Tuesday for Meghan, who received the Woman of Vision award and were pursued by paparazzi afterward, a spokesperson for Harry said.

"This relentless pursuit, lasting over two hours, resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two NYPD [New York police department] officers," Harry's spokesperson said.

The chase involved vehicles driving on the sidewalk, driving through red lights, and reversing down a one-way street and blocking a moving motor vehicle while some drivers were said to be talking on the phone and photographing while driving, Sky News and The Guardian reported.

Several individuals involved in the chase were apparently met by uniformed police officers several times, only to leave and continue the pursuit. The Guardian reported that the couple was staying at a friend's home and did not want to endanger security at the house.

"While being a public figure comes with a level of interest from the public, it should never come at the cost of anyone's safety," Harry's spokesperson said. "Dissemination of these images, given the ways in which they were obtained, encourages a highly intrusive practice that is dangerous to all involved."

Harry's mother, Princess Diana, was killed when her limousine crashed as it sped away from chasing paparazzi in Paris in 1997.