Young mother one of two killed in crash in Donegal
A YOUNG mother was among two killed in a horrific crash in Donegal in the early hours of yesterday.
The woman and a man – both 20 – died when the car in which they were passengers crashed into a wall in Eastend, Bundoran, at 3.25am as it was being driven toward the Border with Co Fermanagh.
A man who is understood to have been in the car at the time presented himself to gardaí yesterday morning and was arrested for questioning. He has been released without charge, with a file prepared for the DPP.
The two victims have been named locally as Shiva Devine and Conall McAleer.
Three other occupants of the car were also injured. One young woman in her 20s was admitted to hospital in a critical condition, while the condition of two young men in their mid20s was described as serious.
The woman was transferred to Beaumont Hospital last night, with the two men still under care at Sligo General Hospital.
Ms Devine was from Donegal but was living in Belleek, Co Fermanagh.
She was a former pupil of Coláiste Cholmcille in Ballyshannon, and the mother of a three-year-old boy.
Mr McAleer was from Ederney in Co Fermanagh, in the Pettigo area. He attended South West College in Enniskillen and worked for D Montgomery Contracts in Dromore, Co Tyrone.
Heartbroken friends took to his Facebook page last night to pay tribute to the popular young man.
“A true gentleman with not a bad word to say or a complaint to make about anyone! A good friend to all of us! Take it easy and fly high,” said one.
Their bodies were removed to Sligo General Hospital, 40km away from the scene.
Local sources said the four occupants in the back of the two-door Peugeot 306 car had been thrown from the car in the impact.
It is believed they had been travelling towards the Border, over which the occupants of the car lived.
Eyewitnesses said the crash scene was something that they never wanted to see again.
“It was horrific to see all those young people just lying there,” said one.
“The car was a total wreck and there were bits of debris lying everywhere.
“There was smoke coming from the car and the back axle was around 30 yards away from the car, which was a total wreck.”
Conditions
A resident who lives near the crash scene said road conditions were poor at the time, after heavy rain.
“There is a bad bend near there too, but we didn’t know anything until we opened the curtains this morning and saw the road was closed, and the car was visible up at the KFC,” they said.
Evidence from the scene indicated the car went out of control and hit a wall on one side of the road before hitting a pole on the opposite side.
The rear axle and both rear wheels, as well as the front wheel on the passenger side, detached completely from the car in the crash.
No other vehicles were involved.
Garda forensic investigators were at the scene of the crash and the road was closed to traffic while they carried out their work. Local diversions were put in place.
Anyone with information in relation to the crash is asked to contact gardaí in Ballyshannon Garda Station on 071 - 9858530, the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111 or any Garda Station.
A message on the Discover Bundoran Twitter page yesterday said that a planned broadcast of the Ryan Tubridy radio show from Bundoran on Tuesday would be postponed to a future date as a mark of respect to the community and all affected by the tragic event.
Bundoran tourism officer Shane Smyth said: “The whole town, both residents and visitors, has been stunned by this shocking event overnight in Bundoran. The lives of these young people, presumably in Bundoran on a night out, have been cut tragically short and our thoughts are with the families and friends of the deceased.
“We hope that the those injured make a speedy recovery.”