Man charged over car crash in which teen best friends on way to Debs ball were killed
A 60-YEAR-OLD man has been charged with dangerous driving in relation to a crash in which two teenage best friends died.
Kiea McCann, 17, and Dlava Mohamed, 16, died after the car they were travelling in left the road and crashed into a tree on July 31 while on their way to a Debs ball.
Anthony McGinn appeared before Monaghan District Court charged with dangerous driving, including speed, causing the deaths of the two girls in the Legnakeely area of Monaghan.
Mr McGinn, of Drumloo, Newbliss, Co. Monaghan, was also charged with dangerous driving that led to another person being seriously injured. He was granted
Hundreds attended the funerals 60-year-old is remanded on bail until his next court appearance
bail before his next court appearance, on April 22. In mid-December, investigating gardaí had arrested two men, aged in their 40s and 60s, under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984.
Oisin Clerkin, 18, who was preparing to escort Kiea to her Debs, was also in the car when it crashed, but was later discharged from hospital.
Dlava’s sister, Avin, 18, another passenger, was also hospitalised but was later discharged.
Shortly before the collision, Kiea and Dlava had smiled as they posed for a photograph in their evening gowns. A photo of Oisin and Kiea was also taken where he is seen standing proudly beside his date, who was wearing a floral corsage on her wrist.
Hundreds attended the funerals of the girls, who had been close since Dlava’s family arrived in Clones as part of a resettlement programme for Syrians.
The funeral Mass of Kiea heard that the two best friends were touching hands as attempts were made to save their lives in the aftermath of the crash.
Fr John Chester spoke of how their hands were touching ‘as though they knew they were off to heaven together’.
He said that Kiea, who moved to Clones from Co. Meath at the age of ten, was ‘looking forward to taking up training in childcare in Calvin’s Institute of Further Education and Training’.
A number of symbolic gifts were placed at the altar by her family members, including a hair straightener, her iPhone and a photo of Kiea in her formal dress. Largy College principal Sharon
Magennis said previously that Dlava had just completed her Junior Certificate and was due to go into transition year.
She added: ‘Dlava will be a massive loss to our school community. Dlava was always smiling. She was gorgeous, so loyal and bubbly, and she was always very happy.
‘She really had a goodness and she was just full of energy.’
Ms Magennis said Kiea had completed the Leaving Certificate Applied programme. She said: ‘Kiea was pleasant and courteous. She had a great love of children and she had hoped to go on to study childcare at third level and now that is a dream that will just not be realised.’
She said both girls were ‘absolutely integral’ to the school community, remarking: ‘We’re just heartbroken at this time.’
Ms Magennis said the two girls had been ‘best friends’ since Dlava arrived as part of the resettlement programme for Syrians.
The principal added: ‘Words can’t describe how our school, our community of Clones is feeling at this time.’
Ms Magennis said taking students back from the Debs into the school after the crash was the hardest moment of her career.
She revealed: ‘It was just a scene of utter heartbreak and devastation.’
‘Scene of utter heartbreak’