Cardiff car crash – latest: Police criticised over search for victims as ...
Eve Smith, Darcy Ross and Rafel Jeanne died in crash, while Sophie Russon and Shane Loughlin remain in critical condition
Related video: Three bodies found and two in hospital after group go missing in Cardiff
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A friend of the victims of the fatal Cardiff car crash has claimed it was members of the public who found them, not the police, after the mother of one of the women who died alleged that law enforcement officials told her to “stop ringing” the station for updates.
Tamzin Samuels, 20, said: “I do think the police could have done a lot more in putting the helicopters out earlier. They only posted the appeal an hour before the girls were found. We found them before the police found them.”
The three found dead and two others seriously injured in the crash are reported to have lain in the wreckage for up to 46 hours before they were discovered.
They vanished at around 2am on Saturday, and sources told the Daily Telegraph that a missing person report was first filed with Gwent Police 19 hours later.
Eve Smith, 21, Darcy Ross, 21 and Rafel Jeanne, 24, died after the Volkswagen Tiguan came off the A48(M) and crashed into trees. Sophie Russon, 20, and Shane Loughlin, 32, remain in critical condition.
A mother who spent hours searching for her missing daughter who was involved in a deadly car crash in Cardiff has criticised police after allegedly being told to “stop calling for updates”.
Concerns were raised after three women and two men went missing at the weekend, with family and friends of the group making repeated appeals to locate them.
The women, Sophie Russon, Eve Smith and Darcy Ross, were seen travelling in a Volkswagen Tiguan with two men, Rafel Jeanne and Shane Loughlin. They were last seen at around 2am in Cardiff.
Read the full story here:
Maroosha Muzaffar7 March 2023 03:38
Tributes have been paid to the three people killed in a crash that left two others seriously injured.
Eve Smith, 21, Darcy Ross, 21, and Rafel Jeanne, 24, died in the accident while Sophie Russon, 20, and Shane Loughlin, 32, survived but remain in a critical condition, according to police.
All five were in a Volkswagen Tiguan that came off the A48(M) in Cardiff and crashed into trees.
Read the full story here:
Maroosha Muzaffar7 March 2023 06:50
Police cordon off area after three people found dead in Cardiff following night out
Maroosha Muzaffar7 March 2023 06:30
The mother of one of the women --- who remains in critical condition after the crash --- has claimed police told her to “stop ringing” the station for updates.
Sophie Russons’s mother Anna Certowicz, 42, told the Daily Mail that something “must be wrong” after not having heard from her or her friends Eve Smith and Darcy Ross.
Ms Certowicz, 42, said she drove around the Gwent and Cardiff areas in a desperate search for her daughter.
She told the Daily Mail: “They didn’t seem to care. I had to drive to Cardiff to knock on doors myself because they were doing s*d all. They just didn’t seem to think it was worth investigating. It was so frustrating.
“I think they assumed that Sophie was hungover somewhere, but she’s a sensible girl who works in a bank and hasn’t taken a day off for three years.
“She’s not someone who’s out clubbing in Cardiff all the time. On Friday nights she’s more likely to be babysitting so other people can go out. She wouldn’t just vanish like this unless something was wrong.
“The police asked me to stop ringing but at the end of the day I’m a mum I’m going to worry. Her little sister is worrying too, she’s only 13 and she’s wondering where Sophie is.”
Emily Atkinson7 March 2023 06:06
Tributes pour in for three people killed in Cardiff car crash
Maroosha Muzaffar7 March 2023 05:30
Three bodies found and two in hospital after group go missing in Cardiff
Maroosha Muzaffar7 March 2023 05:10
The police watchdog has confirmed that it has received a self-referral from Gwent Police in connection with the fatal Cardiff crash.
A spokesperson for the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said: “We can confirm that Gwent Police have advised us that they are making a referral in connection with this tragic incident and we will carry out an assessment in due course to determine what further action may be required from us.”
Both South Wales Police and neighbouring force Gwent Police, who were leading the missing persons investigation prior to the discovery of the car, said they have referred themselves to the IOPC “in line with normal procedure”.
Andy Gregory7 March 2023 04:50
A friend of two Cardiff crash victims paid a heartfelt tribute to the girls on her social media.“I don’t really have the words right now. Darcy Ross I’m going to miss you little gypsy girl. You were one of a kind, I’m going to miss trying to ‘life coach’ you as you would’ve said. You were a real ray of sunshine especially on my bad days.”
Eve Smith, 21, Darcy Ross, 21, and Rafel Jeanne, 24, died after the Volkswagen Tiguan they were travelling in came off the A48(M) in the Welsh capital and crashed into trees.
Sophie Russon, 20, and Shane Loughlin, 32, who were in the same vehicle, also suffered serious injuries and were taken to the hospital.
The friend continued: “Eve Smith you were truly a beautiful young girl, who’s heart was made of gold just like your sister’s, give her a big hug for me and hold each other tight until the day we all have our turn and reunite.”
Maroosha Muzaffar7 March 2023 04:30
A friend of the victims of a fatal car crash in Cardiff has criticised the police search efforts, claiming members of the public found the vehicle before officers.
Eve Smith, 21, Darcy Ross, 21, and Rafel Jeanne, 24, died after the Volkswagen Tiguan they were travelling in came off the A48(M) in the Welsh capital and crashed into trees.
Sophie Russon, 20, and Shane Loughlin, 32, who were in the same vehicle, also suffered serious injuries and were taken to the hospital.
Police issued an appeal on Sunday and officers said the crashed vehicle was found in the early hours of Monday morning.
However, a friend of the three women claimed it was members of the public searching who found the car.
One friend, Tamzin Samuels, 20 was quoted as saying by Sky News: “I do think the police could have done a lot more in putting the helicopters out earlier. They only posted the appeal an hour before the girls were found.
“We found them before the police found them - we rang the police.
“The search party found the girls before the police found the girls. I think that speaks volumes really, they had all that equipment, and we had cars when we were looking.”
Maroosha Muzaffar7 March 2023 04:13
CCTV images of the car carrying a group of friends ahead of a horror crash which killed three have been released.
Sophie Russon, 20, Eve Smith, 21, and Darcy Ross, 21, were last seen in the early hours of Saturday, having partied in the popular bar Muffler in Newport before going on to Trecco Bay in Porthcawl.
The women were later seen travelling in a white Volkswagen Tiguan, as shown in the CCTV images, with two men, Rafel Jeanne, 24, and Shane Loughlin, 32, both from Cardiff, who were also reported as missing.
Thomas Kingsley6 March 2023 23:36
