A guard of honour has been held in Clones for 17-year-old Kiea McCann, one among two youngsters who died in a automotive crash whereas travelling to a Debs ball in Co Monaghan.
Ms McCann and Dalava Mohammed, 16, died after the automotive they had been travelling in left the N54 and crashed right into a tree on the aspect of the highway, simply exterior Clones.
On Tuesday night time, as Kiea’s stays had been faraway from a funeral residence in Monaghan city and dropped at Clones, tons of of individuals from the area people stood on Monaghan Street and on the city sq., The Diamond, as a mark of help for the household.
A cortege of motorbikes and automobiles adopted the hearse carrying the white coffin because it moved slowly by means of the city, stopping briefly exterior a house the place it’s understood relations of Dalava dwell.
Some of these within the crowd wept and consoled one another because the hearse handed by.
The households of the victims are mentioned to be “hugely devastated” and affected by shock within the aftermath of the deadly crash, during which the three different occupants of the automotive had been injured.
An 18-year-old girl is in a essential however secure situation at Cavan General Hospital, whereas a 60-year-old man stays in a essential situation in Belfast’s Royal Victoria Hospital.
An 18-year-old man additionally suffered non life-threatening accidents.
The scene on the N54 Clones to Smithborough highway at Legnakelly was closed within the 24 hours after the crash, however reopened on Tuesday night following a forensic examination of the scene.
Speaking at Clones Garda Station on Tuesday, Superintendent Patrick O’Connell mentioned that the victims’ members of the family attended the scene on Monday night time.
“(They are) suffering from shock and trauma. They were at the scene last night, so they’re trying to deal with the whole aftermath of that and we’re there to try and support them.
“We have family liaison officers appointed and we will continue over the days and weeks coming to continue to do that,” he mentioned, asking that the households’ privateness be revered.
Mr O’Connell mentioned that gardai and the households of the victims are “eternally grateful” to members of the general public who stopped to supply their assist on the scene of the crash.
He additionally thanked the “brilliant” first responders who attended the “harrowing scene” on Monday night time.
“This was a particularly traumatic incident for everyone involved and I wish to acknowledge and thank all of the first responders who worked closely together – particularly members of An Garda Siochana, members of the ambulance and fire service, the hospital staff, and indeed members of the public who stopped to render assistance,” he mentioned.
Principal of Largy College Sharon Magennis expressed her “deepest sympathies” to the households and associates of Dalava Mohammed and Kiea McCann.
She additionally expressed her gratitude to the primary responders and gardai who responded to the incident and mentioned their precedence would now be on “the wellbeing and welfare of the students, parents and staff at this difficult time”.
Ms Magennis mentioned in an announcement: “It is with profound sadness and grief that we have learned about the devastating accident that resulted in the untimely and tragic loss of two cherished members of our school community.
“We extend our deepest sympathies to the families and friends who have tragically lost loved ones.
“The other individuals involved in the accident also remain in our thoughts and prayers at this time.”
She added: “We are grateful to the public for their deeply felt expression of support and ask that we be given the time and space to concentrate on supporting those in the school community who are most in need.”
Visiting Largy College on Tuesday, Social Protection Minister and native TD Heather Humphreys mentioned that there was “a cloud over the town of Cones” and mentioned that individuals really feel “upset” and “numb” within the wake of the tragedy.
“It is every parent’s worst nightmare because nobody expects to get that phone call,” she mentioned.
“One of the parents was on the football field last night and she got the call to go.
“It’s just the shock and to think that this could happen to any child. And I know that many parents across the country are thinking all our children going to Debs, they start off a night full of fun and joy and then it ends up in tragedy.”
Sinn Fein TD for Cavan-Monaghan, Matt Carthy, advised the PA information company that it was “one of those moments where time stops still”.
“The local community here, as they do, rallied immediately offering support for the families, in the immediate instance to the young people who were attending the Debs,” he mentioned.
Superintendent O’Connell mentioned a senior investigating officer had been appointed and a case convention had been held at Monaghan Garda Station, however couldn’t give particulars of the main focus of the Garda investigation.
“We are appealing for information and our primary concern at the moment is to support the families of those affected. But our investigation will progress at pace,” he mentioned.
Gardai are interesting to individuals who witnessed or have footage of the incident, which befell on a stretch of the N54 between Clones and Smithborough on Monday between 6.15pm and 7pm, to get in contact with Gardai.
Source: www.impartial.co.uk
