‘A vibrant young woman’

ASHLEY Donohoe was raised in California by her Irish parents, who described their deceased daughter as a “fine, vibrant young woman”.

Her heartbroken father George told a Californian TV station that the day his daughter died was the “worst day of my life”.

He said he feels deeply for the other families who have also lost their beloved children in this horrific accident.

The 22-year- old was a cousin of fellow victim, Olivia Burke, and was in her third year of studying biology at Sonoma State University, close to where she is from.

Susan Kashack, the chief communications officer with the university, last night expressed her shock at the horrific incident.

“We were all very shocked, we all heard about the incident but we didn’t realise that Ashley was one of the pupils who passed away until late Tuesday afternoon,” Ms Kashack said.

“She was a biology major. She would have returned in the fall. This would have been her fourth year.

“She was a really terrific student.”

It is understood that Ashley’s cousin Olivia was living in the apartment where they were celebrating the 21st birthday party of Aoife Beary.

Ashley was very popular in school and was an “honour roll student”.

A spokesperson for her high school described her as “a great student, not to mention a phenomenal soccer player”.

“I knew that she had a bright future ahead of her, which just compounds the tragedy that just occurred,” said the spokesperson.

She is believed to have returned to her alma mater, where she was homecoming queen when a student, just weeks ago as her sister was graduating from the school.