A family holiday turned to tragedy yesterday when an 11 year-old girl was killed in a road accident near Buncrana, Co Donegal.
Aishling McDaid from Gransha Road, Buncrana, was killed instantly when the BMW car in which she was a back-seat passenger hit a wall on the outskirts of Fahan village, about four miles from her home.
The car crashed into a wall as the occupants were returning to Buncrana after it was discovered that some passports had been left behind. The weather was foggy and the road surface wet at the time of the crash.
Also in the car were Aishling's mother, Jacqueline, Mr Denis McDaid and his wife, Anne, with their 12 year-old son Denis Owen, who was yesterday being treated for serious injuries in Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry.
The dead schoolgirl was a niece of the vice-chairman of the Northern Ireland Policing Board, Mr Denis Bradley. Supt Vincent O'Brien said the family were on their way to Belfast Airport for a flight to Manchester.
"This is the 11th fatal road traffic accident in the Buncrana district this year. The sudden death of anyone in such circumstances is deeply poignant but that poignancy is worsened when it involves a young child.
"This accident happened at 6.40 this morning and Aishling, who was a back-seat passenger, was killed instantly. Her cousin Denis Owen was seriously injured and her mother Jacqueline, uncle Denis and aunt Anne sustained minor injuries.
He appealed for anyone who witnessed the accident, or travelled on the Buncrana/Burnfoot road between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. yesterday, to contact the Gardaí.
"Without in any way prejudging the cause of this tragedy, this stretch of road is one of several we have blitzed in recent weeks in terms of road traffic enforcement and that policy will continue. This is yet another black day on the roads for Donegal and it follows July's tragedy when three teenagers were killed also in the Buncrana district," said Supt O'Brien.