History almost repeated itself on Tuesday night when Prince Harry, his wife, Meghan Markle, and Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, were involved in a “near catastrophic car chase” involving paparazzi. The accident happened not long after the Duchess of Sussex was honored by Gloria Steinem at the Ms. Foundation Women of Vision Awards at the Ziegfeld Theater in New York City.

“Last night, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Ms. Ragland were involved in a near catastrophic car chase at the hands of a ring of highly aggressive paparazzi,” a spokesperson for the couple said in a statement on Wednesday.

“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,” the statement continued. “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. Dissemination of these images, given the ways in which they were obtained, encourages a highly intrusive practice that is dangerous to all in involved.”

The car chase involved half a dozen blacked out vehicles, driven recklessly by unidentified individuals. Individuals involved were confronted by uniformed police multiple times, but sped off in continued pursuit. Among the traffic violations committed were driving on the sidewalk, running red lights, reversing down a one-way street, driving while photographing and illegally blocking a moving vehicle.

Harry’s mother, Princess Diana, died after a car crash involving paparazzi in Paris, France, on Aug. 31, 1997. She was 36.