Ireland

Gardai trying to establish cause of Donegal double road tragedy

Kiara Baird (19) was one of two victims of the road crash near Ballybofey, Co Donegal
Kiara Baird (19) was one of two victims of the road crash near Ballybofey, Co Donegal Kiara Baird (19) was one of two victims of the road crash near Ballybofey, Co Donegal

Two women killed in the latest devastating road crash in Co Donegal were originally from Derry and Dublin.

Kiara Baird (19) died at the scene of the accident after the Citroen C3 car the victims were travelling in left the main Ballybofey to Glenties road shortly after 4pm on Wednesday.

Mother-of-three Maria Wallis (38) died a short time later at Letterkenny University Hospital.

A man who was travelling with the two women was also treated in hospital but his injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

Originally from Derry’s Waterside area, Mrs Wallis had been living in Ballybofey for the past 13 years.

It is understood she got to know Ms Baird through an adult education course both women were undertaking.

Ms Baird had been living in Ballybofey for six years but was a native of Clondalkin in Dublin.

In an emotional tribute to the teenager, her grandfather Declan said she had moved with her mother Tracy and siblings six years ago in the hope of enjoying a better life away from the city.

The Dubliner said Ms Baird was his first grandchild and was extra special because of that.

"She was full of life and full of questions and constantly wanted more from life. Kiara would still come down to Dublin a lot to go out with friends and I would see her often. What happened is just awful,” he told the Irish Independent.

Sinn Fein councillor Gary Doherty said his son was a classmate of one of Mrs Wallis’s children and people were stunned by the tragedy.

“People don’t understand what happened. This would not be a normal accident blackspot although it was very wet and the road would have been very slippy.”

Garda Inspector Michael Harrison said officers were still trying to establish the cause of the crash.

“The collision occurred in a long, sweeping right-hand bend approximately 800 metres past the entrance to Jackson’s hotel. It was a blue Citroen C3 vehicle; the car was travelling out of Ballybofey heading in the Glenfin direction when it lost control on this bend and it left the road,” he said.

The deaths were the latest in a succession of multi-fatality road accidents in Co Donegal.

In July five people were killed in two separate crashes near Letterkenny.

Two men died when their car crashed while travelling the wrong way up a dual carriageway, while a day later three young people died in a collision at Drumkeen.

Mrs Wallis’s funeral will take place from her mother Mary McGonagle’s home in Ballybofey to the Church of Mary Immaculate, Stranorlar for Requiem Mass at 11am on Saturday.

She is survived by her husband David and sons David, Darren and Andrew.

Ms Baird’s funeral will be from her home at Glenwaters, Ballybofey to the same church on Sunday. Both women will be buried at Drumboe cemetery.

Ms Baird is survived by her parents Tracy and Andrew and four brothers and sisters.