Hundreds gather at site of crash that killed three and critically injured two more for vigil
Hundreds of people have attended a vigil in Wales for three people found dead and two others seriously injured two days after a weekend car crash.
Family and friends set off fireworks, smoke flares and balloons, and brought flowers and other tributes to the scene of the crash in St Mellons, Cardiff.
They gathered to mourn the deaths of Eve Smith, 21, Darcy Ross, 21, and Rafel Jeanne, 24, who were all found dead on Monday morning after a car they were traveling in crashed in a wooded area off the A48 two days earlier .
Sophie Russon, 20, and Shane Loughlin, 32, were also involved in the crash but survived and are being treated in hospital for serious injuries.
Tributes also poured in via social media and fireworks were also held in memory of the dead on Monday night.
Family and friends were seen setting off fireworks, setting off smoke flares and balloons, as well as bringing flowers and other tributes to the scene of the crash in St Mellons, Cardiff
They gathered to mourn the deaths of Eve Smith, 21, Darcy Ross, 21, and Rafel Jeanne, 24, all of whom were found dead on Monday morning after a car they were traveling in crashed into a wooded area off the A48 two days earlier.
Eve Smith, 21, (pictured) is among those killed in the crash in St Mellons, Cardiff, on Saturday
Darcy Ross, 21, (left) died in the car crash and Sophie Russon, 20, (right) is in critical condition in hospital
Shane Loughlin (left), 32, is in critical condition and Rafel Jeanne, 24, (right) was killed in the accident
The mourners held a two-minute silence followed by a fireworks display in memory of the three who died in the crash.
Paul David, 56, of Newport, said he did not personally know the group but attended the wake to pay his respects.
He told WalesOnline he felt “really guilty” for passing the scene of the crash on Saturday while on the bus with his son, who wanted to get off because he felt ill.
He said, “It keeps playing in my head. I keep thinking we should have got off the bus. If we got off the bus, maybe they’d still be alive.’
The friends had been out for a night out at the Muffler bar in Maesglas, Newport, on Friday night and were said to have gone to Trecco Bay, Porthcawl.
The last confirmed sighting of the five people was at 2am on Saturday 4 March in Pentwyn, having traveled there from Porthcawl.
They were reported missing to Gwent Police and South Wales Police this weekend, but were not discovered until 48 hours after they were last seen.
Police confirmed that an initial missing person report was made to Gwent Police at 7:34pm on Saturday, followed by further missing persons reports at 7:43pm and 9:32pm.
At 5.37pm on Sunday, another missing person was reported to South Wales Police.
Police said a police helicopter was requested to search part of Cardiff at 11:50pm on Sunday, after which the Volkswagen car they were traveling in was found.
Mourners held a two-minute silence followed by a fireworks display in memory of the three who died in the crash
People held fireworks as fireworks were held after the two minutes of silence
The last confirmed sighting of the five people was at 2am on Saturday 4 March in Pentwyn, having traveled there from Porthcawl. Pictured: People attend the vigil on Tuesday
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) announced today that it will investigate police actions in relation to the five people found in the car on Monday.
IOPC Director David Ford said: ‘My thoughts go out to the families and friends of those who tragically lost their lives, to those who were injured, and indeed to the many people affected by this incident.
READ MORE: ‘It took the police two days to find my daughter while she was trapped next to her dead friends’
“After careful review of referrals from Gwent Police and South Wales Police, we decided to independently investigate how the police responded to the missing persons reports.
“We will investigate what information the police had, the assessment of any risk assessments and the steps the police took to locate the missing persons before the Volkswagen Tiguan was found just after midnight on Monday.
“We will also look at what communication has taken place between the two forces and whether the police action was appropriate and followed the relevant policies and procedures. Our research is at a very early stage.
“We will be reaching out to the families involved to express our condolences, explain our role and outline how our investigation will proceed.
“We are aware of the great concern of the community about the tragic events that have occurred and want to assure everyone that we will conduct a thorough and timely investigation.”
