Gardaí investigating a fatal crash in Monaghan, which claimed the lives of two teenage girls, are investigating if wet weather conditions may have contributed to the crash.
Best friends Kiea McCann (17) and Dlava Mohamed (16), both students at Largy College in Clones, were killed when the car in which they were travelling to a debs ball left the road and crashed into a tree on the N54 in Legnakelly.
The 60-year-old driver of the vehicle, from Newbliss, Co Monaghan, remained in a critical condition in Belfast’s Royal Victoria Hospital on Tuesday night.
An 18-year-old woman remains in a critical but stable condition in Cavan General Hospital and an 18-year-old man was treated in hospital for injuries suffered in the single-vehicle incident.
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Gardaí were hopeful that the male teenager could be interviewed immediately and may have valuable information about how the crash occurred as he remained conscious throughout.
Cars bringing teenagers to the debs were travelling in convoy, and friends and neighbours were first on the scene of the crash which happened at 6.45pm on Monday evening.
Speaking at Clones Garda station on Tuesday night, Supt Patrick O’Connell said the victims’ family members were 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 to support them,” he said.
The crash scene was examined by the Garda’s forensic collision investigators and the car was removed on Tuesday night for examination.
On Tuesday night, the community formed a silent guard of honour as remains of Kiea McCann left Clerkin’s Funeral Home in Clones and travelled to her home at The Diamond in Clones.
A large group of friends and relatives gathered outside the McCann home and that of her best friend Dlava Mohamed’s family, who are originally from Syria, also at The Diamond.
Earlier, as parishioners entered the Sacred Heart Church in Clones, Co Monaghan, on Tuesday morning, there was one word on everyone’s lips – “devastating”.
“A night of celebration became a night of suffering and heartbreak,” said Fr Peter Corrigan, as he opened 10am Mass at the church. Fr Corrigan asked those gathered at the church, which looks out over St Tiernach’s Park, to remember the two young victims as well as their families and friends in “a special way”.
Speaking earlier to The Irish Times, Fr Corrigan recalled how he had been called to the scene of the incident and “prayed over them”.
“Young people, full of life and suddenly it’s all finished,” he said. “It would have been a moment of great excitement in their lives and something they would have been planning and looked forward to for a long time. That moment of life, it has suddenly all changed.”
Fr Corrigan said the tragedy would be felt by the whole community of Clones and surrounding area for “a long time”.
The N54, where the road crash took place, was expected to be remain closed overnight.
At Largy College, where both girls were students, a black ribbon was tied to the gates of the school, where a bunch of flowers also lay.
In a statement, the school said students, staff, parents and the board of management were in “deep shock following the tragic accident”.
School principal Sharon Magennis said it was with “profound sadness and grief” that they learned about the “devastating accident that resulted in the untimely and tragic loss of two cherished members of our school community”.
Ms Magennis said the school’s priority was now the welfare of students, parents and staff at “this difficult time”.
Kiea’s older sister, Shaunice McCann, posted a tribute to her “little baby sister” on social media.
“You were taken from us too soon, your life just starting to begin and you can no longer enjoy it,” she wrote.
