Proceedings at the inquests of Diana, the Princess of Wales, and Dodi Fayed were interrupted today when a key witness failed to appear.

Souad Moufakkir, one of only two witnesses who claim to have seen the crash in a Paris underpass that claimed the lives of the couple and their driver, was due to attend a courthouse in the French capital to give her evidence over a video link to the hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice in London.

When she did not turn up at the appointed time Lord Justice Scott Baker, the coroner, asked officials to telephone her home. There was no reply, but they left a message asking her to attend at 2.30pm Paris time. The coroner adjourned the hearing for two hours.

When the court reconvened at the appointed hour there was still no sign of Ms Moufakkir, and the coroner asked French officials who have been co-operating with the English inquests to track her down.

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Ms Moufakkir, who gave a statement to French police shortly after the 1997 crash, is one of only two witnesses who claim to have seen the accident in the Alma tunnel on the carriageway which runs along the Seine's northern embankment. In a statement at the time she said that she was a passenger in her boyfriend's car driving ahead of the Mercedes when they heard the noise of a crash behind them.

François Levistre, the only other witness who claims to have seen the crash — in his rear-view mirror — appeared before the hearing this week and repeated his assertion that there had been a blinding flash of light in the tunnel at the same time as the Mercedes hit pillar 13 of the underpass with fatal impact.

For much of today the jury had to be content with hearing the written statements of other witnesses. Thierry Orban, a photographer, had been ordered by his editor at the Sigma agency to attend the Ritz Hotel that night because rumours were circulating that Diana was about to announce her engagement to Dodi, or her pregnancy.

He initially refused, but was called later and ordered to the Alma tunnel, where he joined other photographers.

Eric Lifalandry, a chauffeur, said that he had been driving past the tunnel shortly after the accident, and stopped to offer his assistance.

“I looked in the back of the car and saw a woman on the floor with her back against the rear right-hand door as someone was attending to her. I then noticed her open her eyes; I said to myself that she was alive, and then went on to the driver. I saw his white hand; I knew that he was dead. I couldn't see his face.”

Gary Hunter, a British solicitor who has since died, said in a statement that he had been in his room at the Royal Alma Hotel when he heard an almighty crash and spotted two cars speeding away from the tunnel at inordinate speed. He thought that one was a white Mercedes, closely following a small black car as though the larger vehicle was shielding the back of the smaller one.

Jean-Pascal Peyret and his wife Severine appeared over the video link later to describe how they heard a crash behind them as they drove their Saab convertible through the tunnel. Because their car had only one small rear window they were unable to see the Mercedes, but Mmme Peyret recalled a motorcycle with a single rider passing them at great speed moments later.

“I quickly understood that the motorcycle could have been implied [sic] in the collision and that its rider was trying to get away from the place,” she said in a statement to police.

Neither saw any blinding flash of light that M Levistre claimed to have seen at the time of the crash.

The hearing continues.

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