French prosecutors investigating Michael Schumacher's skiing accident in Meribel, France Wednesday gave a press conference in Alberville to provide details of their enquiry.
Using carefully chosen words, Chief Prosecutor Patrick Quincy did not make any spectacular revelations.
He told the press that the investigation was "progressing well" and had spoken to various witnesses to the accident as well as the medical staff at CHU Grenoble were Schumacher is taken care.
The Chief Prosecutor confirmed that his team had the footage of the camera Schumacher was wearing on his helmet at the time of the accident, and said that the seven-time World Champions was apparently well aware of what he was doing.
“On December 29, M. Schumacher was skiing down a slope when he arrived at a junction. He followed the edge of the red slope, he crossed the markers and was now off-piste. His skis then hit a rock [which was hidden in a deep, powdery snow]. He lost control, fell and his head hit another rock located three meters down”, Quincy explained.
“We can't really estimate the speed in km/h, we can't really work out a figure, but he was a good skier on terrain that was slightly curved. It was off-piste, and it made it difficult to slow down. He needed to remain in the line of the slope,” said Chief Gendarme Stephane Bozon.
Relevant to any prosecution is the question of whether the skis slopes were properly marked. However, police are denying that was the case and say they conform to French regulations.
"As you are well aware, there are some French norms or standards that regard signalling, warning information and so on and what we were able to note was that those standards had been respected," M. Quincy explained.
He also added they the two-minute footage of Michael Schumacher’s camera doesn’t show the German giving attention to the daughter of one of his friend – a story that has leaked in the press.
“There is no one in the field of view of the camera. We are still analyzing the footage of his camera, but I really think that it was his own decision to cut across the slopes”, Quincy added.
He also mentioned that he never saw the film taken by a German skier that would show Schumacher’s fall in the background. Prosecutors expressed "reservations" and "feel quite dubious" about its veracity.
Using carefully chosen words, Chief Prosecutor Patrick Quincy did not make any spectacular revelations.
He told the press that the investigation was "progressing well" and had spoken to various witnesses to the accident as well as the medical staff at CHU Grenoble were Schumacher is taken care.
The Chief Prosecutor confirmed that his team had the footage of the camera Schumacher was wearing on his helmet at the time of the accident, and said that the seven-time World Champions was apparently well aware of what he was doing.
“On December 29, M. Schumacher was skiing down a slope when he arrived at a junction. He followed the edge of the red slope, he crossed the markers and was now off-piste. His skis then hit a rock [which was hidden in a deep, powdery snow]. He lost control, fell and his head hit another rock located three meters down”, Quincy explained.
“We can't really estimate the speed in km/h, we can't really work out a figure, but he was a good skier on terrain that was slightly curved. It was off-piste, and it made it difficult to slow down. He needed to remain in the line of the slope,” said Chief Gendarme Stephane Bozon.
Relevant to any prosecution is the question of whether the skis slopes were properly marked. However, police are denying that was the case and say they conform to French regulations.
"As you are well aware, there are some French norms or standards that regard signalling, warning information and so on and what we were able to note was that those standards had been respected," M. Quincy explained.
He also added they the two-minute footage of Michael Schumacher’s camera doesn’t show the German giving attention to the daughter of one of his friend – a story that has leaked in the press.
“There is no one in the field of view of the camera. We are still analyzing the footage of his camera, but I really think that it was his own decision to cut across the slopes”, Quincy added.
He also mentioned that he never saw the film taken by a German skier that would show Schumacher’s fall in the background. Prosecutors expressed "reservations" and "feel quite dubious" about its veracity.