Community 'raw with grief' following tragic death of young girl in Carndonagh crash

Inishowen is a “community in grief” following the tragic death of a child in a road traffic collision outside Carndonagh last night.

A young girl lost her life in the crash at Carrowmore, near Glentogher, shortly after 6.30pm on Wednesday, while three others are in a “serious” condition in hospital this morning.

Carndonagh Cllr Albert Doherty said people are still trying to come to terms with the devastating consequences of the two-vehicle collision, which occurred close to an area known locally as ‘The Planting’, about three miles south of Carn town.

“We've lost a young loved one. We have three in the hospital, and our thoughts, our prayers, are with this poor family and extended family, hoping for a full recovery.”

“There was great anxiety and upset when we heard about another accident, and unfortunately, that was compounded when news began to filter through that there was a fatality, a young fatality.”

“It’s really, really devastating to take on board that some family has lost a young loved one like this. I'm thinking of all the people who could be on that road from Quigley's Point to Carn, and they could be on their way home. But to lose somebody in those circumstances is awful.”

“We are just a community that has been totally devastated. We are all raw with grief; we are sore to the core.”

Cllr Doherty said the Carndonagh and wider Inishowen community will do its best to rally to “support the family in the difficult times they have to face ahead.”

He also praised the emergency services, who tended to the victims at such a difficult and heart-breaking scene.

“We’re very thankful and appreciative for their work; and I would very much like to thank the emergency services because they too had a very difficult situation to deal with last evening,” Cllr Doherty said.

Meanwhile, the R240 road remains closed