BRUSH WITH DEATH

Italian Princess ‘Lucky to Be Alive’ After Motorcycle Crash

Princess Maria Carolina, 21, thanked hospital staff after riding headfirst into a wall.

Italy’s Princess Maria Carolina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies claims she’s “incredibly lucky to be alive” after crashing headfirst into a wall during a harrowing motorcycle accident. Sharing a picture of herself in a hospital bed on Instagram, the 21-year-old socialite, who splits her time between Rome, Paris, and Monte Carlo, wrote: “I crashed headfirst into a wall whilst riding a motorcycle and ended up in reanimation in the Intensive Care Unit. Surviving this was nothing short of a miracle. I wanted to share my own experience as I’ve realized now more than ever that motorcycles are powerful and thrilling but also unforgiving. Please ride with care. Wear full protection, especially a proper helmet. Mine saved my life.” Accompanying the post was a series of pictures of the princess recovering in the ICU, as well a note of thanks for the medical staff who treated her. “My deepest thanks to the outstanding team at Centre Hospitalier Princesse Grace for their expert care during those critical days, and to the emergency medical team and first responders on the scene, whose quick and decisive actions in those first moments made all the difference,” the princess, who goes by Carolina, wrote.