The mother and daughter who lost their lives in a road crash in Co Donegal have been identified locally as 6-yr-old Ella McLaughlin and her mother Natalie McLaughlin, who was in her twenties, reports RTE.
Ella was killed in a collision involving a van and a car that happened on the R240 near Glentogher, Carndonagh, just after 6.30pm on Wednesday.
Her mother was taken to Altnagelvin Hospital after the incident and was later moved to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast, where she passed away yesterday evening, reports RTE.
Natalie’s partner, who is in his thirties, and their two-year-old daughter are currently receiving treatment in hospitals in Derry and Belfast for injuries that are not believed to be life-threatening.
A local representative expressed that the deaths of Ella and her mother have left the community deeply shocked and saddened, reports RTE.
Cathaoirleach of Inishowen Municipal District Council, Martin McDermott, said: “The loss of a young mother and a young daughter, six years of age, I don’t think you can put that into words.
“We have to just get behind the family now and do whatever we can over the next short period of time to try and to help them, to be there for them and to do whatever we can to make sure that they’re looked after over the next, particularly the next few days, which will be very difficult,” reports RTE.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, the Fianna Fáil councillor stated that tragedies like this happen “too often here in Inishowen”, and added, “we just can’t get our heads around why these type of accidents keep happening”.
He described the road where the crash occurred as “a critical road” and “main artery into north Inishowen coming from Letterkenny or coming from Derry”, reports RTE.
“There’s quite a lot of traffic on that road and quite a lot of people travel from work and everything through that road,” he said, adding “it’s dangerous enough like every other road”, reports RTE.
Carndonagh Parish Priest Fr Con McLaughlin said yesterday that “words were not adequate” to explain what had happened.
“I don’t know what to say at this stage, other than to say a prayer that somehow or other in time or in turn, they [the family] will be able to cope with this awful tragedy,” reports RTE.
The R240 serves as one of the main roads linking north Inishowen with the rest of Co Donegal.
It was reopened last evening after a technical examination of the crash site had been completed, reports RTE.
It is believed the van driver, a male in his late teens, did not suffer serious injuries.
Gardaà continue to seek witnesses, especially any motorists with camera recordings, and ask them to contact Buncrana Garda Station, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any garda station, reports RTE.
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